


3 drops of sesame

by wingenuine



Category: Monsta X (Band)
Genre: Angst and Fluff and Smut, Comedy, Fluff, M/M, Mentions of other K-Pop Fandoms, Mild Smut, Multi, OT3, Polyamory, Ramen, Ramenshop AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-16
Updated: 2018-01-11
Packaged: 2019-02-03 03:26:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 66,403
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12740067
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wingenuine/pseuds/wingenuine
Summary: "And so, Changkyun leaves Monbebe Ramen with a couple million won in debt and a new job. He sighs. He really just wanted something to eat."In which Changkyun finds something special at Monbebe Ramen, the best ramenshop in town.





	1. Chapter 1: Changkyun

**Author's Note:**

> Trigger Warning: mentions of date rape drugs in the first and second chapter.

_ It’s a sign _ , Changkyun thinks. 

And it is a sign. A very cutely designed sign with all sorts of colorful animals surrounding a giant bowl of ramen. Changkyun debates whether he should go inside, unsure if a ramen shop obviously designed to attract children would have good ramen. But his stomach growls and his wallet very much likes the  _ special offer! _ poster that hangs in front of the door in elegant script.

When he enters the shop, a large standee of six men in animal onesies greets him. Everything is bright and colorful and  _ cute _ .

“We’ll be with you in a minute!” a voice calls out and Changkyun nods in affirmation. He briefly imagines if the waiters will be dressed liked the standees in the colorful animal onesies. On closer inspection, the standee advertises  _ kigurumi sundays _ and Changkyun thinks of what kind of weird shop he has found himself at. He wonders if it’s too late to leave.

He doesn’t know if he’s disappointed or relieved when a tall waiter with burgandy red hair, dressed in a crisp white dress shirt, fitted black pants, and a black apron, greets him with a bright smile.

“Table for one?”

Changkyun flushes, not sure if the man is judging him for eating by himself, but nods and follows after the handsome waiter who places him at a bar where he can see the kitchen just behind it. He asks for cola and the waiter leaves Changkyun to look at the menu.

It seems like Changkyun is the only customer because as he stares at the menu, he can feel many pairs of eyes on him. He looks up to almost catch the gaze of the tall cook slouched in a chair before he averts his eyes. Discretely, he peeks up through his menu and takes a look around, before he groans internally.

What kind of place has he stepped into? This must be some type of fairytale wonderland where flowers bloom everyday, unicorns poop rainbows, and every employee is inexplicably attractive. He hasn’t even gotten a good look at any of them and he knows that anyone of them could be idols from their looks alone.

It makes him feel a little out of place, him in his oversized sweater, torn up jeans, and ratty sneakers. He can’t compare their flawless faces to his acne-scarred one covered up by his giant circle glasses that sit on his sharp, large nose. But he sighs and returns to the menu. Changkyun doubts he’ll like the ramen enough to return without the limited time special offer for a second bowl of ramen free. He’s only here because the other more popular stores are expensive and overcrowded. It would cost Changkyun half his college tuition and a reservation a year in advance to get into  _ Army Soup Shop _ . 

The waiter returns with his soda,  _ Minmoongie _ , his name tag decorated in cartoon beagles reads, and Changkyun thinks that’s a rather odd name for a person.

“Are you ready to order?”

Changkyun nods. “May I get the  _ tonkotsu ramen _ ? And may I ask about your special?”

“Of course,” Minmoongie (Changkyun internally cringes at what he must call the waiter) says, writing it down. “And the special is buy one bowl get one free but I see that you’re eating alone?”

Changkyun waves off the question. “Then can I also get a bowl of  _ shoyu ramen _ ?”

Minmoongie only grins, like it’s to be expected that people eat more than one bowl of ramen per sitting. “Alright, I’ll be right back with your order.”

“Thank you, Minmoongie-shi,” Changkyun says before pausing and realizing how weird that sounds. The waiter only makes a sound of nonchalance and leaves Changkyun to his thoughts.

There are two cooks in the kitchen, from what he sees. The shorter starts working right away only to pause and yell at the taller sitting slouched over in his chair. Unlike the shorter who is wearing a similar outfit as the rest of the employees, the taller is wearing a plain white t-shirt tucked into skinny ankle pants that show off his long legs. Even in such a plain outfit, he looks like he has stepped out of a fashion magazine. Changkyun pouts. He blames genetics for his own lacking stature. 

Changkyun is in the middle of debating whether the shorter cook is the short order cook and the possible irony of the situation when another waiter breaks him out of his thoughts. He looks up to see the man set the tray down with a bowl of steaming hot ramen. The smell is just the right mix of sweet and salty. Changkyun's mouth waters.

What Changkyun doesn’t expect is that the man, dressed in the same uniform as the previous waiter only that his shirt bulges against his muscular body, sits down and starts eating the ramen. Changkyun blinks and reaches down to pinch himself.  Maybe the violet-haired waiter flexed too hard and one of the buttons straining on his shirt knocked him out. 

He only yelps in pain and gets a concerned look from the waiter eating next to him. The muscular waiter has cartoon rabbits on his name badge labeled  _ Wontokki _ and Changkyun decides that this shop is too weird for him to be a repeat customer.

Changkyun sips at his soda gingerly, feeling embarrassed. Luckily, he doesn’t have to wait for long when the red-haired waiter brings his first bowl. “The next bowl should be out soon,” he informs Changkyun and Changkyun politely thanks him.

Changkyun opens his chopsticks and mixes the ramen a little, pulling up some noodles to take a whiff. It  _ smells _ good, a nice flavoring that coincides with the lovely creamy color of the broth. The heat from the soup fogs his glasses but he ignores it to take a bite. He groans. Wow,  _ that’s good _ .

Distantly, just like when he walked into the shop, he can feel eyes on him. It makes him self-conscious, so he rubs at his glasses with his sleeves and tries to quiet down as he eats. Within moments, he’s finished. Changkyun looks mournfully down at the remains in the bowl, a few spoonfuls of soup and some floating vegetables that he doesn’t like.

His grumbling stomach is slightly sated with the offering but it cheers when Minmoongie brings the second bowl of ramen as well. The sharp taste of the  _ shoyu ramen _ differs from the  _ tonkotsu ramen _ but the contrast does not extend to the sheer delight Changkyun takes in the meal. The broth is flavorful, the meat is high-quality, and the egg is cooked to soft-boiled perfection. Again, the bowl is gone too quickly, enough food to feed a couple and a small child resting in Changkyun’s stomach.

Maybe he’ll consider ordering take-out from here instead.

While he waits for the waiter to bring back his card, he takes off his glasses to wipe the fog off of them. He hadn’t cared while he was eating but now that he’s full, he’s more aware of the oddness that walking around with glasses covered in condensation is.

There’s a sharp inhale and the sound of something falling over and clattering to the ground next to him. More distantly, Changkyun can make out some figures carrying something, a black-haired blob shouting orders to  _ be careful, that costs more than your entire year’s paycheck! _ in the background. 

And call it what you will, fate, destiny,  _ sabotage _ , but as Changkyun stands up to leave, his foot slips in a puddle of water and he goes crashing to the ground. Well, not exactly, because he catches himself on the busboy but that only sends both of them tumbling into a decoration stand where an empty ornate vase stands.

The stand wobbles and Changkyun watches in horror as the vase tips over and shatters on the ground. Distantly, he’s aware of someone helping him off the floor and brushing him off but he can only think about getting out of the shop before he’s forever indebted to this weird place. 

“Thank you,” he says, bowing before trying to make a break for the door. “I’m sorry about the vase,” he calls over his shoulder but just as he’s about to reach freedom, a firm hand wraps around his upper arm and stops him.

Changkyun winces and turns to face his captor. The man is tall and tan, his shirt straining at the seams too, with an almost expressionless face. It contrasts with the cute bear cartoons on his nametag that happily reads  _ Shownubear _ and pronounces him as manager. Changkyun gulps.

“Wait a minute, kid,” the shorter cook says, walking to where Changkyun is being held prisoner. He gets right up in Changkyun’s face and points an accusatory finger into Changkyun’s chest with a menacing glare on his face. Changkyun instinctively steps back although the cook can be no taller than he is and has a hamster-decorated nametag denoting him as  _ Kihyamsta _ . There’s just something scary about the relatively cute and small man that makes Changkyun quiver in fear.

“Yes?” he says, wincing when his voice cracks.

“I hope you have money to pay for that vase. It costs a fortune.”

Behind him, the taller cook appears a little ways back and says something that sounds like, “Good riddance. That vase was ugly as fuck anyways.” 

The shorter cook turns around and flips the model-like man off before turning back to Changkyun with a deceptively sweet smile.

“How much does it cost?” Changkyun asks, already dreading the answer. When the man says the price, Changkyun is glad that the bulky manager is holding him up because his knees go weak at the cost. There’s no way he can pay for that unless he decides not to eat for a year, maybe two. He’s a broke college student who’s on a budget and his budget does not include a section for breaking overly expensive artisanal vases. If it did, Changkyun would not have been eating here and gotten himself in such a situation.

“I can’t pay that,” he says quietly. The cook sighs and Changkyun’s stomach sinks.

Kihyamsta huffs. “Well, you have to do something to make up for it.”

“Hey, Kihyun, calm down,” Wontokki says, holding his hands up. “He and Jooheon both knocked it over so we can’t put  _ all  _ the blame on him.”

The busboy,  _ Jooheon, _ Changkyun’s mind supplies, gasps in indignation. “Hoseok-hyung, what the fuck?”

And Wontokki, or Hoseok, gives a sheepish smile and scratches the back of his head. “Okay, it was partially my fault too. If I didn’t spill my drink, he wouldn’t have slipped and caused the accident.”

Kihyun turns on Hoseok with a gleam in his eye. “So are you going to pay for the damages, Hoseok-hyung?” 

“That wasn’t my fault,” he whines. “Hyungwon was distracting me.” Hyungwon, the model-like cook scoffs and Hoseok laughs nervously. “What I’m saying is,” and he trails off, looking around the cafe before his eyes land on Changkyun, who shrinks back in distress. “What I’m saying is that the kid can work to pay off his debts!”

Changkyun groans internally because he knew this would happen. Kihyun’s face looks thoughtful and if he dared look up, he imagines that the manager must have the same expression. “It’s a good idea,” Kihyun says slowly, “we could use a fresh new face around here. I’m tired of seeing all of you.”

Hyungwon snorts and says, “same” under his breath, causing the red-haired waiter to give him a high five and Kihyun to glare daggers into him. 

“What do you say, kid?” Kihyun asks and he really leaves no room for argument the way he asks.

Changkyun, at least, tries to fight back. “I’m still in college,” he attempts, “I don’t have time for a full-time job.”

Before he’s even allowed the satisfaction of thinking of a good excuse, Minmoongie cuts in. “It’s not that bad. We’ve all worked here while finishing college after military enlistments. It’s manageable. You did your time, kid?”

Changkyun nods. “But-” he tries again before he’s cut off. 

“Look, you have to pay for it in some way. And you just said you’re in college so you obviously don’t have any money right now,” Kihyun says. “You’ll only have to work for us for a few months, maybe a year, since I’m sure Jooheon and Hoseok-hyung will be willing to help cover some of the costs for you.”

Before Hoseok and Jooheon have time to protest, the red-haired waiter steps in with a dazzling smile. “Great! So if you’re going to our new co-worker, we’re going to need to do introductions. I’m Lee Minhyuk. Changkyun, right? Im? I saw that when I was getting your check.”

Changkyun’s very glad now that the manager is holding him stable because he has whiplash from how fast everything has just gone down. Within the last few minutes, he has been roped into becoming a servant in this strange establishment. Forget what he previously thought about a fairytale wonderland. This place is obviously some type of soul-sucking hell where all the employees have lost their minds.

A soft cough from behind Changkyun takes him away from his planning to drop out of college, change his name (Daniel, maybe), and open a pizza place in the U.S. He's lived in Boston before, he can do it again. The man behind him let’s go of Changkyun and shifts slightly so that he blocks off any chance of Changkyun making a dash for it and holds out his hand.

“Son Hyunwoo,” he says, and surprisingly, his voice is smooth and a little nasally, only a small hint of gruffness compared to what Changkyun would have expected. He offers a small smile that only helps calm Changkyun’s racing heart a little bit.

“Lee Jooheon,” the curly-haired busboy offers up. His nametag is decorated with bees and says  _ Joohoney _ in bubble letters. 

With a harsh sigh, Kihyun holds his hand out and Changkyun timidly shakes it. He smiles a little at that and introduces himself as “Yoo Kihyun, head chef.”

Changkyun can’t help the blush that rises to his cheeks when Hoseok steps unnervingly close to him and bends down a little to flash a charming smile. “Shin Hoseok, assistant manager at your service,” and if Changkyun hadn’t known better, he would think Hoseok was flirting with him.

Hyungwon’s gaze is sharp when Changkyun turns to look at him. It only softens when Changkyun looks away, startled by the discontent brewing around Hyungwon. Even the cute turtles on Hyungwon’s name tag, calling him  _ Chaebugi _ , can’t do away with the cook’s etherealness. “Chae Hyungwon,” he introduces himself as and even his name fits him perfectly.

“Well,” Minhyuk says, clapping his hands, “if Changkyun is going to work here, he’s going to need a code name.”

“Code names,” Hyunwoo explains, “are what’s on the name tags. A few months ago, someone hacked Hoseok’s social media accounts and photoshopped clothes on all his shirtless selfies. We do it for the protection of the employees,” he drones on and the monotone way he says it causes giggles to bubble out of Changkyun’s throat.

“There’s also the uniform,” Kihyun reminds. He looks Changkyun up and down with a critical eye that makes Changkyun want to cover himself up even though he’s showing barely any skin as it is.

Hoseok laughs and wraps a beefy arm around Changkyun’s shoulders. “Aww c’mon, he’s cute. Could use a little styling, maybe some beauty products, but he’ll fit in fine.” And Changkyun flushes because did this Adonis before him just call him  _ cute _ ? He probably means in a cute kid brother way and not in the  _ 10/10 would bang _ way.

Before he knows it, his arms are full with clothes and he’s being shoved into the employee bathroom. He pulls on the uniform and is surprised to see that it fits fairly well although the area around the butt and thighs are a little tight.

When he steps out, Minhyuk lets out a long whistle and crowds into his space, grabbing his face. “Good job, Kihyun-ah. He looks good.”

“The pants are a little tight,” he mumbles. He almost jumps out of them when a stray hand comes up and squeezes his ass.

“Nah, they’re fine,” Minhyuk declares. “Here, hold still.” Changkyun tries not to move as Minhyuk carefully undoes the button on his sleeve and neatly rolls them up Changkyun’s arms so that it exposes his forearms. Giving a onceover, he nods.

“What about code names?” Jooheon asks and Changkyun doesn’t know whether he should strangle Jooheon with the bowtie that Minhyuk is currently tying around his neck or thank Jooheon for diverting attention from Changkyun playing their dress-up doll.

Hoseok hums before snapping his fingers. “He kind of looks like a puppy, so why not Kkukkungie?”

Jooheon wrinkles his nose. “Minhyuk-hyung is already a dog, do we need another?”

“He can be a wolf pup or something,” Hyungwon drawls from the back. “I think that was the last kigurumi in the seven-pack set anyways.”

And so, Changkyun leaves  _ Monbebe Ramen _ with a couple million won in debt and a new job. He sighs. He really just wanted something to eat.

 

\-- --

 

Hoseok is assigned to train Changkyun the day he starts because he doesn’t have anything better to do, is what he tells Changkyun. He walks Changkyun through the procedures, how to make payments, what to write when a customer orders, and how to make good tips. Changkyun suspects that it’s more of Hoseok’s charm and visuals that gets him his tips than whatever nonsense he is trying to teach Changkyun.

Even so, he walks Changkyun through interactions with customers and Changkyun gets first hand experience of what lunch rush feels like. It’s certainly not crowded,  _ Monbebe Ramen _ a little too small to need constant rushing and with a good number being regulars, but it’s still a much faster pace than when only stragglers stop by.

After what feels like forever, when the last of the lunch rush customers say goodbye, Hoseok declares him trained. Changkyun groans and plops in the bar stool where he sat on the first day he entered the shop. His stomach grumbles but Changkyun doesn’t have food since he’s trying to save money to pay off his debt as soon as possible.

A warm bowl of ramen is set in front of him and Changkyun looks up to see Hyungwon taking a seat next to him. He’s confused because Hyungwon makes no move to take the bowl from him to eat himself.

“Eat it,” Hyungwon commands.

Changkyun looks around. No one seems to be paying attention and he could just take one bite but, “No thank you,” he says, “I can’t pay for it.”

Hyungwon laughs exasperatedly and reaches over to ruffle Changkyun’s hair. “Don’t worry about it kid. Employees get meals on the house.”

“We should really stop doing that,” Kihyun comments as he walks by, cleaning rag in hand. “Hoseok-hyung and Hyunwoo-hyung are going to eat us dry.” Hyungwon looks up and scowls.

Changkyun is at a loss for words but Hoseok appears behind him and claps a warm hand on his shoulder, giving him a dazzling smile. “Just eat it, Changkyunnie.”

When he looks around this time, the rest of the staff are looking at him with encouraging smiles so he ducks his head in thanks and digs in.

He hums in delight. It’s just as good as the first time he ate here. There’s a slight difference in taste but not one that he would consider negative. He’s almost tempted to ask for seconds but when he looks up, Hyungwon and Hoseok have moved away. They’re sitting by themselves at an empty table, the lunch rush long gone. Their heads are bent together as they talk, one of Hoseok’s hand gripping Hyungwon’s, and Changkyun comes to a realization.

Hyungwon and Hoseok must be dating, he thinks. And honestly, Changkyun isn’t surprised. It should have been expected, the way Hoseok talks about the rest of the staff but saves a certain reserve of fondness for the lanky cook. Even as he walked Changkyun through his training, Hyungwon’s name was constantly on the tip of his tongue.

Quietly, he picks up his bowl and goes to toss it in the dirty dish pile where Jooheon is cleaning. There’s a large pile that wobbles dangerously over the busboy’s head.

“Jooheon-hyung? Do you need some help?”

Jooheon looks up in surprise and breaks into a huge smile. “Yes please, Changkyun,” he practically begs, gripping Changkyun’s hand in his soapy grasp. 

Changkyun rolls up his sleeves and together they go through the dishes until a pile of clean dishes is stacked neatly away. They talk as the wash and dry and Changkyun learns a lot about the dynamics of the establishment.

“Yeah, so it used to just be me, Hyunwoo-hyung, and Hoseok-hyung. We were already in line for some money from Starship Entrepreneurs to open up a business. Hoseok-hyung suggested opening a ramen shop but he wasn’t the best cook. So Hyunwoo-hyung brought in Kihyun-hyung and Hoseok-hyung brought in Hyungwon-hyung.”

“Did you not bring in anyone?”

Jooheon laughs sheepishly. “I brought Minhyuk-hyung but it turns out he’s not a very good cook.” Changkyun stares at him judgmentally and raises one eyebrow. Jooheon holds his hands up in surrender. “Look, he can’t cook but he ended up being much more important than what we were originally planning to do with him.And Hyunwoo-hyung can cook well enough if we ever need the extra help.”

Changkyun doesn’t ask. Instead, “so why ramen?”

“Hoseok-hyung is obsessed with ramen. Like, he would marry ramen if he could.” Jooheon takes a surreptitious look around before leaning closer. “It’s probably why he likes Hyungwon-hyung so much.”

“Because Hyungwon-hyung can cook ramen?” Changkyun furrows his brows. “Then he should like Kihyun-hyung too.”

“Yeah, but Hyungwon-hyung can  _ only _ cook ramen.”

Changkyun stares as Jooheon innocently continues to wash the dishes. “What do you mean he can  _ only _ cook ramen?”

Jooheon laughs. “It’s funny, right? He makes pretty good ramen but the moment he tries to make something else, he almost burns the shop down. And if he doesn’t, it tastes horrible and will probably give you food poisoning.” He shudders. “Never again.”

Changkyun makes a mental note not to eat anything but ramen from Hyungwon. “So does that mean they’re dating?”

“Dunno,” Jooheon says with a shrug. “Probably.” He waves his hands as he talks. “And if they aren’t, they should be,” he rants, “they act like a married couple. I’m sick of the PDA. And the UST.”

“Uh-huh,” Changkyun says, completely lost on what any of those acronyms mean. He gets memes but the acronyms just go over his head.

“So, how was your first day?” Jooheon asks, changing the topic. “Was it okay so far?”

Changkyun shrugs, plopping down in the chair next to Jooheon’s, rolling his shoulders back to relieve the ache. He looks around, sees Kihyun quietly humming to himself as he prepares food for the dinner rush, sees Hyunwoo and Minhyuk bustle about cleaning tables, and sees Hyungwon and Hoseok talking quietly as Hoseok draws something on the whiteboard that greets their customers.

“Yeah, it was okay.”

 

\-- --

 

It’s raining by the time the shop closes at night. Changkyun stretches and yawns, tired from the long day. It marks almost half a month since working at  _ Monbebe Ramen _ . He had a test a few days ago and decided to take an extra shift later to get the day before the test off to study. 

He looks outside and groans, cursing not having the foresight to bring an umbrella. The walk home is long and he can’t afford to pay for a taxi. 

“Hey Changkyun, you can head home now,” Hoseok says, as he carries the extra high chairs to the back. It turns out Changkyun was right,  _ Monbebe Ramen _ is designed to attract children. Any child that walks past the door gets the royal treatment and the attention of all seven men.

Changkyun looks back outside and can’t even see anything, how thick the rain is pouring down outside. “I could,” he says, looking forlornly outside, debating if it’s worth the potential cold. He’s finished with testing and taking a few sick days would be some good rest.

There’s a warm presence behind him as Changkyun steels himself to go outside. “Oh, you don’t have an umbrella,” Hoseok notes.

Changkyun laughs nervously. “It’s alright, hyung. It’s not that bad,” only to regret his words when thunder crashes as soon as he finishes saying them.

“I can take you home, Changkyun,” Hyunwoo offers.

“Are you sure, Hyunwoo-hyung?” Changkyun asks.

“You live in the university dorms, right?” Changkyun nods. “It’s out of the way but it should be fine,” Hyunwoo hums. “Jooheon used to live there but he graduated a semester early. It’s too bad he wasn’t working today.”

Hoseok cuts in. “Why don’t I take Changkyun home since it’s on the way for me and Hyungwon? You’re taking Minhyuk and Kihyun too, anyways.”

Hyunwoo looks doubtful but agrees. “That works. That fine with you, Changkyun?” He smiles at Changkyun’s affirming nod. 

Changkyun waits by the door with Hyungwon as Hyunwoo and Hoseok shut down the store. Hyunwoo walks past them, keys in hand and sets the lock before waving goodbye and heading to his car where Kihyun and Minhyuk are waiting. The lights flicker off and Hoseok emerges from the darkness. “Ready to go?”

None of them have an umbrella and by the time they make it to Hoseok’s car, Changkyun is soaked through the bone, Hyungwon and Hoseok not much better.

Changkyun is sopping wet, the thin white shirt clinging to his skin, and glasses dotted with water. In front of him, Hoseok and Hyungwon are in a similar state, white shirts turned translucent from the rain. When Hoseok starts the car, the AC turns on full blast and Changkyun shivers, goosebumps rising on his skin.

“Ah, sorry,” Hoseok says, turning off the AC and turning up the heater. He unbuttons his dress shirt and peels it off of himself before telling Changkyun to watch out and tossing it in the back. His undershirt leaves nothing to the imagination, the white fabric clinging tightly to his body, revealing all the details of Hoseok’s impressive musculature and the cold causing two little dots to poke out on his chest. As Hoseok starts the car and pulls out of the parking lot, the veins on his forearms emphasize the strength in his hands. If Changkyun wasn’t so cold, he would have overheated from the blush that attempts to take over his face.

Hyungwon, who’s resting in the passenger seat, yawns, eyes half-lidded in a sleepy daze. He’s curled up in a fetal position, head resting against the window, looking out of it. Changkyun almost wants to join him in dream land.

For a little bit, the ride is silent, only the pattering raindrops filling the space. Changkyun sniffs, the cold making his nose run. He wipes at it miserably, everything still wet.

Hoseok glances up to look at him through the rearview mirror. “You doing okay back there?”

Changkyun jumps slightly, surprised. “Yeah,” he stammers out. He looks out the window. “Turn right here.” Hoseok hums and drives up to the university gates. “You can just drop me off here,” Changkyun says, unbuckling his seatbelt.

Hoseok looks doubtful. “Are you sure? Where’s your dorm?”

“It’s close by,” Changkyun lies. It’s a partial-truth, if it wasn’t raining, it would be an easy walk. It’s quiet for a moment but Hoseok relents.

“Okay,” he says. “Text me when you get to your dorm, okay?” Hyungwon groans sleepily and shifts so that his head falls towards Hoseok, who sighs with fondness at the taller. He reaches over to thread his hands through Hyungwon’s hair, who makes an appreciative noise at the gesture and pushes his head against Hoseok’s hand.

Changkyun laughs at that. “Don’t worry, I’ll be fine. You don’t have to worry about me. You should get Hyungwon-hyung home. He looks tired.”

Hoseok opens his mouth to say something but he pauses before he can. Instead, he just flashes a soft smile to Changkyun and unlocks the door for him.

With a deep breath, Changkyun jumps out of the car and makes a beeline for the gates. The rain is lighter now but it’s still pouring hard enough to undo all the drying he managed to do in the car. Hoseok’s car’s lights illuminate his path all the way until he makes it to his dorm five minutes later. Changkyun turns around just in time to see Hoseok’s car pull out of the university’s driveway. 

Changkyun wakes up with everything aching. His roommate had used up all the hot water the night before so he only managed a lukewarm shower and had gone to bed shivering, unaware of his surroundings as he stumbled through the dark. He opens his eyes and groans. It’s a Saturday at least, so he has the weekend to recuperate.

He manages to stand up and looks over to the other side of the room where his roommate should be. Instead, there’s a note that tells Changkyun that his roommate is dropping out of college. Too tired to even celebrate that he will have his own room for the rest of the year, Changkyun groans and flops back in bed. He grabs his phone and shoots off a message to Hyunwoo about taking a sick day. A soft  _ ping! _ is his reply but he’s too exhausted to even check. A dim haze settles over his vision and he decides that sleeping is the best option right now. It’s the only option, really, he thinks, as sleep pulls him under.

 

Changkyun wakes up to his phone buzzing repeatedly. Moaning, he rolls over and reaches for his phone, only to see an explosion of messages.

**Hoseok-hyung:** _ Changkyun, did you make it back alright? _

**Hoseok-hyung:** _ I guess you must have fallen asleep. _

**Hoseok-hyung:** _ Message me when you wake up. _

**Hoseok-hyung:** _ Changkyun, are you awake? _

**Hoseok-hyung:** _ Hey, Hyunwoo said you were taking a sick day. _

There’s a few other messages from the others, wishing him a speedy recovery, some promises from Kihyun to bring him over some food, and reassurances from Hyunwoo that they’ll be okay without him.

His last message, the one that woke up him up, is from Hyungwon. It simply says  _ Hey, we’re at your dorm. Let us in. _

It takes longer than Changkyun would like to admit for him to process the text. He looks down and groans. He’s still in his pajamas, the bottoms frayed from excessive use and the shirt a couple sizes too large because it was a free shirt from a campus event. His dark hair, even as he tries to comb down his bed head, is curled from sleeping with it wet.

Throwing on a hoodie and a face mask to hide his runny nose, he trudges his way down to the lobby where he sees Hoseok and Hyungwon waiting. In their hands are a bunch of plastic bags but Changkyun can’t tell exactly what they are because his nose is blocked and he forgot to grab his glasses.

He tries to be a good host, seeing that Hoseok is obviously feeling a little under the weather as well, but he’s dizzy and tired and he only manages to not pass out before he makes it to his bed.

“Hyung, you’re not feeling well either, so take my roommate’s bed,” he says, pointing at the vacant bed. “He’s moved out.”

Hoseok thanks him and collapses in the bed before turning a tired smile to Changkyun. Where Hyungwon sits in the rolling chair by Changkyun’s desk, he tsks and rummages through the many plastic bags the two brought. He pulls out a pill and opens a bottle of water before swallowing it all down.

“Medicine,” he says when Changkyun looks at him curiously.

“You know, hyungs,” Changkyun says slowly, “if you were sick, why did you come here? You could have just stayed at home.”

From where Hoseok is laying face down in the bed, he says, “Knew you were going to be sick.” He turns his face and moans, “Why did you lie, Changkyunnie?” before flopping back over.

“It’s not a big deal, hyungs,” Changkyun mumbles. “I’ll be fine.”

Hyungwon scoffs and Changkyun turns to him confused. “You’re obviously fine,” he says, pointing at Changkyun’s messy attire and the mess of snot on his sleeves that he’s been using to conceal his runny nose.

“I’m okay,” Changkyun insists, but he’s stopped from further protesting when a coughing fit starts up. By the time it’s finished, he’s out of breath, his throat is raw, and his eyes are watery. “Okay, maybe not 100%, but I’ll be fine, hyung.”

“We brought you soup,” Hyungwon simply says in reply and any further protests dry up in Changkyun’s mouth.

“It’s good soup,” Hoseok slurs out, already succumbing to sleep.

Hyungwon sighs, stands up, and walks over to the lump that is Hoseok, running long fingers through soft violet hair. It reminds Changkyun of the night before when it had been Hoseok doing the same thing to Hyungwon. “Hey, hyung,” he says, voice gentle, “You need to eat and take some medicine before you can sleep. And I don’t think Changkyun wants you to sleep here anyways,” he adds, looking over at Changkyun.

Changkyun shakes his head. “No, no, it’s okay. You’re already here and Hoseok-hyung needs rest. He can stay.” Hyungwon smiles in relief.

“Thanks, Changkyun,” Hoseok’s muffled voice replies.

Hyungwon leaves to use the floor kitchen and Changkyun is left alone with Hoseok. “Hey Changkyun,” Hoseok says, “why didn’t you message me when you got back to your dorm? I was worried.”

“Sorry, I forgot,” Changkyun apologizes. 

Hoseok lets out a low chuckle. “It’s okay. Just don’t forget next time.”

And it may be the cold and the slight fever, but Changkyun’s heart pounds.  _ Next time _ ? He doesn’t let it show on his face though and hums in thanks instead.

Changkyun’s almost drifted off when the dorm door opens and Changkyun can hear the faint sounds of chattering girls. Hyungwon steps in and shuts the door, effectively cutting off what Changkyun presumes is his new following. He sets down a small pot of soup, walks back out, and brings in two cups of some type of steaming hot drink.

Changkyun is reminded of Jooheon’s warning not to eat anything that Hyungwon has made that is not ramen when he looks down into the bowl Hyungwon gives him and sees ramen. The cup seems to be a sort of tea from the small leaves he can see still floating around in it.

With a sniff, (what little it does with his runny nose), he takes an experimental sip and gags. It’s a strange taste, almost akin to vomit with the heavy bitterness of over-brewed tea, the charred flavor of burnt coffee, and the tangy acidity of what seems to be orange juice. He masks his gagging with a cough.

Luckily, he doesn’t have to have a talk with Hyungwon because Hyungwon takes one sip from the cup he’s holding and makes the most disgusted face he has ever seen. “Ugh,” he groans, wiping his mouth. “Sorry about the drink, Changkyun.”

“It’s okay,” Changkyun lies, subtly sliding the drink away from him. At least the ramen is good, not overly cooked and flavorful enough to taste even with his runny nose. Across from him, Hoseok is happily chowing down. Instead of the disgusting tea that Hyungwon has made, Hoseok has a water bottle filled with colorful liquid.

Curiously, Changkyun asks for a sip and Hoseok pours some out into the lid and hands it over. It’s just as bad as Hyungwon’s tea. “What is it?” he manages to ask through his grimace.

“Protein powder and Vitamin C supplement,” Hoseok says cheerfully as he eats and chugs down the drink. Changkyun settles for the glass of water Hyungwon brings him.

Lunch does make Changkyun feel a little better and if he wasn’t in love with Hyungwon before, he is now because Hyungwon pulls out some cold medicine for him to take. Hyungwon doesn’t say anything when Changkyun crawls into bed, only pulls out a book from his bag and opens it. Drowsy, Changkyun falls asleep to Hyungwon’s soothing and drawling voice as he reads poetry.

Changkyun wakes up when long fingers run carefully through his hair. He sighs in content and opens his eyes slowly to see Hyungwon sitting in a chair next to his bed. He rubs his eyes but does not attempt to sit up. “How long was I asleep, hyung?”

“Not too long,” Hyungwon replies, still petting his head. “Maybe an hour or two.” He stops his ministrations and holds his palm out across Changkyun’s forehead. “You feeling better?”

Changkyun nods. “The food and medicine helped a lot. Thanks, hyung.”

Hyungwon shakes his head, withdrawing his hand. “Don’t thank me. Hoseok-hyung was really worried about you and insisted we come to check on you when he could barely get up himself.” Hyungwon points back towards Hoseok who’s still sleeping judging from the steady rise and fall of his chest.

Changkyun finally sits up with some effort. “Hyung, if you’re tired,” he suggests, noting Hyungwon’s own paleness and general sluggishness, “why don’t you take my bed? I don’t think you’ll fit in Hoseok-hyung’s one.”

“Then where will you sleep, Changkyun?” Hyungwon asks.

“I’m fine,” he insists, making to stand up, but Hyungwon’s warm hand on his chest keeps him in bed. “Hyung?”

Hyungwon hums. “Why don’t we share a bed?”

Changkyun is effectively at a loss for words. “We could,” he agrees, “or, you can sleep here and I’ll go sleep on the chair.”

Hyungwon makes a noise of discontent. “You don’t want to share a bed with me?”

“No, no,” Changkyun stammers. “It’s not that! Well, it’s kinda… no no, it’s not that. I just don’t want you to get sick too.”

“It’s too bad,” Hyungwon snorts. “I’m already sick.”

Changkyun can’t find it in him to argue. He slides against the wall and unravels the blanket around him. Hyungwon slips in and Changkyun thinks that they’ll sleep back to back, in a very…  _ platonic  _ position but Hyungwon wraps his arms around Changkyun’s waist and buries his nose into Changkyun’s nape, pressing his chest against Changkyun’s back.

“Hyung?”

“Mm, go to sleep, Changkyun-ah,” Hyungwon groans and his breath flutters across the back of Changkyun’s neck making goosebumps rise. And like that, once his racing heart calms down, Changkyun falls asleep to Hoseok’s soft snores and Hyungwon’s arms wrapped around him.

A knock on the door wakes Changkyun up sometime at night. When he opens his eyes, he realizes that his nose is buried against a firm but wiry chest and his legs are tangled together with Hyungwon’s. The model-like cook’s hands are slung over Changkyun’s hips, one dangerously close to feeling him up in his sleep. 

As quietly as he can, he attempts to slip out of Hyungwon’s octopus grasp. Hyungwon groans and unravels, falling over in a random splay of limbs, letting Changkyun free. When he opens the door, Kihyun and Minhyuk greet him with cheery smiles and more food. A little behind is Hyunwoo and Jooheon who are carrying cups from the local coffeeshop.

“Hey Changkyun!” Minhyuk cheerfully says. “You look like shit.”

“Thanks, hyung,” he groans. “That makes me feel a lot better now.”

“No problem,” is Minhyuk’s cheeky reply.

“Here,” says Kihyun. “I made some rice porridge. We can’t stay long because Hoseok-hyung and Hyungwon are apparently sick too.”

Changkyun thanks Kihyun and shakes his head. “Hyungwon-hyung and Hoseok-hyung are in my room if you want to give them anything.”

“Why are they in your room?” Kihyun asks, startled. 

Changkyun shrugs. “Said they felt bad I got sick.” Changkyun doesn’t like the secretive mischievous smile that Kihyun shares with Minhyuk as he says that. “I’ll go wake them up,” he murmurs, walking back into his dorm and leaving the door open so the rest of them can walk in.

By the time the others leave, Changkyun is exhausted. He says his goodbyes and closes the door after the healthy four. He brushes his teeth and washes his face as Hyungwon and Hoseok gather their things. Still tired, he waves goodbye then ignores them and tucks himself under his covers, reaching for the soft stuffed animal he likes to hug to sleep. The lights are turned off and as Changkyun drifts off, he swears he feels a soft kiss on his forehead before sleep pulls him under.

 

\-- --

 

“Here you go, Changkyun,” Kihyun declares, handing him an envelope. “Your first paycheck.” He pretends to wipe a tear. “They grow up so fast.”

Changkyun looks down surprised. Hoseok walks over. “Exciting, isn’t it?” he grins, patting Changkyun on the back.

The others gather around to watch as he opens the envelope. Changkyun gasps. “Hyungs, this is too much. I still owe you so much money…” he trails off.

“What’s wrong, Changkyun?” Jooheon asks, nudging him.

Changkyun frowns. “I just thought I wouldn’t be paid since I’m only working here to pay off my debt.”

Hyunwoo’s eyebrows furrow and the manager looks mildly upset. “Changkyun,” he says, “you may owe us money and your paycheck reflects that, but you’re still an employee here and you still deserve to make a living wage.”

Before Changkyun can protest, Minhyuk steps in. “So, what are you going to do with your first paycheck?”

“I don’t know. My parents usually give me money to buy the necessities. I’ll probably put it in a savings account or something.”

Minhyuk nods. “That’s smart. But  _ boring _ .”

“Well, I don’t know,” Changkyun grouches. “What did hyungs do with their first paychecks?”

“Bought recording equipment,” Jooheon pitches in.

“Bought a gaming keyboard,” Minhyuk adds.

“Treated my parents to a meal,” Hyunwoo says. Both Jooheon and Minhyuk groan, complaining that Hyunwoo makes them look bad. The manager just shrugs and continues wiping down the tables, two whiny children clinging on to his arms as he does so.

“I just put mine in the bank,” Kihyun shrugs. “Did some research, found the ones that offer the best interest rates, and invested in some stocks as well.” It’s impressive, Changkyun thinks, but the way Kihyun nonchalantly says it makes it seem like it’s not that big of a deal.

Hoseok laughs. “Gave it to my mom,” and of course he did, because Hoseok not only has to be amazingly handsome and fit, but also kind and filial as well. Hyungwon is a lucky man, he thinks. Speaking of Hyungwon...

Changkyun turns to look at Hyungwon, the only person that hasn’t said anything. Hyungwon looks up and shrugs. “I put down a deposit for my and Hoseok’s current apartment but aren’t you living in the dorms? That’s kind of useless information to you.”

“Yeah, on scholarship,” Changkyun confirms. Hyungwon’s right, it’s not really helpful because there’s really no point for him to put money into his own apartment when he can live on campus for essentially free. He sighs. “I don’t know. I’ll probably put it in the bank and save it for the busride back to Gwangju when summer break starts.”

Hyungwon perks up at that. “Gwangju? You’re from there too?”

Changkyun nods in surprise. “Yeah, my dad is a professor at the university there.”

Hyungwon’s eyes sparkle and Changkyun remembers how Hyungwon occasionally drops into  _ satoori _ when he gets worked up. “Let me know when you go back. I might go with you,” Hyungwon says.

Changkyun hums in acknowledgement. He looks around the shop, everyone busy cleaning and wrapping up for the day before he makes his decision. “Hyungs, next time we’re all working, I’ll treat everyone to dinner.”

The others look up in surprise. “You sure that’s how you want to spend your first paycheck, Changkyun?” Kihyun asks, eyeing him carefully. “I don’t think you understand how much Hyunwoo-hyung and Hoseok-hyung can eat.”

“Yeah,” he confirms. He’s seen Hyunwoo and Hoseok devour four bowls of ramen  _ each _ in one sitting then have room for the ice cream cake that Jooheon had bought from  _ Reveluv Ice Cream _ , the creamery down the street. 

Minhyuk scoffs. “Kihyun says that but he eats a lot too,” and Changkyun has accounted for it after seeing Kihyun eat through an entire box of  _ 17 Carat Chicken _ fried chicken and then half of Hyungwon’s by himself. Changkyun had been in awe wondering how Kihyun was so small and skinny when he consumed food so heartily. Kihyun opens his mouth to protest but is quickly shut down. “Don’t try to deny it,” Minhyuk says, shaking his head.

“It’s alright, hyung,” Changkyun cuts in before Kihyun can try to burn Minhyuk with just the force of his glare, “my parents give me an allowance and I get money back from my scholarships at school so I’ll be fine.”

“Are you sure, Changkyun?” Kihyun asks, sighing.

Changkyun nods. “There’s a place I found a few months ago where the food is cheap but the portions are huge and it’s really good. They only open a few months in the year but I think next week is their first week back open. Do you guys know  _ Star1 Cafe _ ?”

“Oh, good choice,” Jooheon says. Hyunwoo, behind him, grunts in agreement. 

Hoseok smiles and throws an arm around Changkyun’s shoulders. “So I guess next week, Changkyunnie is treating!”

Changkyun smiles. It’ll be nice to have dinner with everyone, he thinks, looking as Kihyun and Minhyuk bicker good-naturedly as they stack the last of the chairs and as Hyunwoo and Jooheon talk quietly amongst themselves. He glances over at Hyungwon, who has an unreadable expression on his face. Maybe he’s tired but Changkyun has other suspicions. Quietly, he sighs before sliding himself out from Hoseok’s grasp and standing up. “I’ll be going now, hyungs. You’ve worked hard today.”

He leaves to their chorus of goodbyes. Next week, he believes, will be great. Even if his wallet will weep, Changkyun thinks he’s made the right decision.

 

\-- --

 

Changkyun has made a mistake. In front of him, walking from the parking lot, Hoseok waves before nudging Hyungwon who is looking down at his phone to wave too. On Changkyun’s phone are messages from the others with excuses on why they can’t show up. 

Hyunwoo has a family emergency. Changkyun texts back  _ take care  _ and  _ it’s okay! _ Jooheon’s message tells him that Jooheon’s family from the U.S are visiting earlier than planned and their flight is landing tonight, leaving Jooheon to pick them up and take them around. He apologizes but Changkyun only shoots back a  _ don’t worry about it, hyung. not your fault _ . 

Kihyun’s text makes Changkyun concerned. It simply says  _ Minhyuk is sick, staying back to take care of him _ . Minhyuk was fine earlier so it surprises Changkyun that he’s not doing so well now. He sends a  _ it’s okay, just keep me updated _ before Kihyun replies with a  _ sorry for making you third-wheel the couple _ .

Changkyun frowns. Now that Kihyun has mentioned it, Changkyun realizes that yes, he will be third-wheeling. He debates canceling but before he can make a decision, Hoseok and Hyungwon are right in front of him. They’re dressed in matching brand-name shirts and stylish cardigans that make them look like they’ve just stepped off the runway and jetted from New York to here. It makes Changkyun feel underdressed in his plain hoodie and ripped jean jacket.

“Where is everyone?” Hoseok asks.

“They can’t make it,” Changkyun and Hyungwon answer at the same time.

Hoseok frowns at that. “Well,” he shrugs, “I hope you’re okay with just me and Hyungwon, Changkyunnie.” He peers down at Changkyun with a careful expression like he’s gauging to see what Changkyun’s reaction will be.

Changkyun frantically shakes his head, not wanting to seem rude or ungrateful that they’ve shown up. “No, hyung, it’s fine. I wanted to eat dinner with you guys and it spares my wallet too,” he jokes. Hyungwon and Hoseok laugh at that and Changkyun almost dares think it’s fond.

“Do you guys know what you want to order?” Changkyun asks, as they approach the counter.

Hoseok laughs and the sound is bright and clean that Changkyun almost can’t believe it’s nighttime and the sun is not out. “Hyungwon usually orders a whole bunch of stuff but doesn’t finish it all so I just eat whatever he gets.”

“Hyung,” Hyungwon complains. “You benefit from this relationship too,” he chastises, playfully hitting Hoseok in the arm. Hoseok winces and rubs lightly where Hyungwon hit. Hyungwon turns to Changkyun. “Do you like spicy food?” Changkyun makes an  _ eh _ sound and Hyungwon smiles. “Good. How about I order for all of us and we can share? Sound good?”

“Sounds good,” Changkyun echoes back. “Hoseok-hyung, can you go get a table?” When Hoseok leaves with a smile, Changkyun takes a moment to look at Hyungwon, who is reading the menu. He’s much taller than Changkyun and the shirt is loose enough to reveal sharp clavicles set amongst narrow shoulders. He bites his lips as he studies the menu, making the already plump lips seem more swollen. Changkyun wonders if Hyungwon knows that he’s able to attract any male or female within a mile radius to him.

“Changkyun,” Hyungwon says, breaking him out of his thoughts, “do you want anything in particular?” Changkyun shakes his head. “Alright,” Hyungwon says, shrugging and turning back to where the cashier is waiting. He rattles off a list of items on the menu and Changkyun loses count after the tenth dish. He hands over his card to the cashier when Hyungwon is done, relieved when the total doesn’t completely blow through his first paycheck.

“Thanks for paying for dinner, Changkyun-ah,” Hyungwon says, reaching up to ruffle Changkyun’s hair. Changkyun closes his eyes at the sensation, surprised that he likes it as much as he does. He feels some of the tension drain from his shoulders only to open his eyes again when Hyungwon’s hand leaves his head.

“Huh? Oh, it’s no problem, hyung.” Changkyun keeps his face neutral but he can feel the tips of his ears starting to burn red. Hyungwon leans in closer but before Changkyun accidentally blurts out something he would regret, the waiter calls out their number. Together, they gather everything Hyungwon has ordered and walk over to where Hoseok is sitting. Changkyun hurries over to get straws for the drinks. He moves to sit back in his chair but someone must have moved it and he falls gracelessly to the floor.

Hoseok and Hyungwon burst into laughter as Changkyun slides to his knees and pretends to eat the fries from his position on the floor. “You okay?” Hoseok asks, chortling before he reaches over to help Changkyun back into his seat.

Changkyun can’t hide the embarrassment and just says “yeah” before stuffing his mouth so he doesn’t have to talk. Hyungwon is still laughing long after Hoseok has stopped. “Is Hyungwon-hyung okay?” Changkyun asks, afraid that Hyungwon might pass out from lack of air from laughing too much.

Hoseok glances over from his steak and goes, “yeah, he’ll be fine,” before returning to his meal. Hyungwon manages to stop laughing enough to start eating after Hoseok has eaten his way through two dishes. Hyungwon’s picked a wide variety of food, ranging from American dishes like burgers and fries to Korean classics like tteokbokki and galbi to other dishes like grilled shrimp and sweet potatoes. Changkyun is honestly impressed with the variety of food _Star1 Cafe_ serves. He briefly thinks that _Monbebe Ramen_ could branch out like this but he looks at Hyungwon who’s still struggling to hold in his laughter and remembers that the idea isn’t possible.

“Hey Changkyun,” Hoseok says, “try this.” He holds out chopsticks with some kind of meat in between them. Changkyun leans forward and bites down before he realizes he could have just grabbed it with his own chopsticks.

He finishes chewing and swallows, wiping his mouth where he can feel some of the oil sticking to his lips. “It’s good, hyung,” he says. “What is it?” Hoseok doesn’t seem to hear him. “Hyung?”

“Oh,” Hoseok says, blinking, “Bulgogi.” Changkyun hums and Hoseok brightens. “Do you want some more?” When Changkyun nods, Hoseok grabs some more and holds out his chopsticks to Changkyun. “Say ah,” he teases. 

Changkyun looks over to Hyungwon, who seems spaced out, and opens his mouth obediently so that Hoseok can feed him before he tells Hoseok, “It’s alright, I can feed myself. I’m not a kid, hyung.”

“Ah, okay. Sorry,” Hoseok apologizes. He looks a little crestfallen but Changkyun isn’t sure why. Hyungwon looks over and offers a piece of what he’s eating to Hoseok, who happily takes it. Changkyun notices that when Hyungwon doesn’t like something, he hands it over to Hoseok. Similarly, Hoseok always makes sure to feed Hyungwon some of what he’s eating to see if Hyungwon likes it or not and willingly trades their dishes if Hyungwon likes Hoseok’s better.

“Hyung, can I try some,” Changkyun asks, pointing to the sweet potatoes that Hyungwon is currently eating.

“Sure, Changkyun,” Hyungwon says, holding out the warm potato wrapped in foil for Changkyun to take a bite out of. With one hand, Changkyun holds it steady and takes a bite only for a chunk to fall off. He gasps a little at the heat, trying to cool it while it’s still in his mouth. “Good?” Hyungwon asks, smiling when Changkyun hums in affirmation. “Here, hyung, try some,” he says, turning to Hoseok. Hoseok accepts with a warm smile and wraps his hands around Hyungwon’s as he leans in to take a bite.

“Hey, hyungs,” Changkyun says and both turn to him. “How long have you guys known each other?”

“About five years, I think.” Hoseok turns to Hyungwon. “Remember how we first met?”

Hyungwon snorts. “You were crying because you missed your mom.”

“Nothing wrong with missing your mom,” Hoseok defends. “Right, Changkyun?” Changkyun slowly nods, confused on how the topic started changing.

Hyungwon leans over conspiratorially towards Changkyun and stage whispers, “Hoseok-hyung cried so much, it made everyone else in the military barrack start crying too.” When Changkyun sneaks a look at Hoseok, his mouth is agape in shock and Changkyun uses his hand to stifle his giggles.

The conversation flows more relaxed now and Changkyun finds himself enjoying their company. Hyungwon and Hoseok always manage to keep him in the conversation and even as they talk amongst themselves, Changkyun never feels left out. It’s a warm feeling, he thinks, as he watches the two debate whether going to the gym too much is better than not going at all.

There’s a lull in the conversation when Changkyun decides to ask, “How long have you guys been dating?”

Both Hyungwon and Hoseok freeze in place, Hoseok with a fork halfway to his mouth and Hyungwon with his mouth full of food but jaw wide open.

Hoseok sets the fork down and laughs nervously. “Dating? What are you talking about, Changkyun?”

Changkyun furrows his brows and points his chopsticks at Hoseok then Hyungwon. “You two. Dating. You know. Going out. Boyfriend and boyfriend.”

Hyungwon swallows and looks at Changkyun with a piercing gaze. “Who told you we were dating?”

Changkyun blinks innocently. “Was I not supposed to know? Jooheon-hyung and Kihyun-hyung told me but it seemed pretty obvious.” He looks between the two, who are frozen again, as if the information is new and strange. It can’t be, he thinks, the feelings are on blatant display. 

Hyungwon sighs and buries his face into his hands. His voice comes out muffled. “We’re not dating, Changkyun.”

Changkyun freezes at that. “What?”

“He’s right,” Hoseok chimes in. “I don’t know how you got that idea but Hyungwon and I are just friends.”

‘But, but,” Changkyun stammers. “Why not?” The silence that answers him tells him that Hyungwon and Hoseok don’t know either. “I’m sorry,” he apologizes. “I just thought because you guys were so close and you hold hands and cuddle together a lot and you wear matching clothes and talk about each other all the time,” he trailed off. “I realized my mistake.” He stands and bows, smashing his head against the table.

“Oww,” he moans, rubbing at his aching forehead as he sits back down. 

“You okay?” Hoseok asks, reaching a hand out for him the same time Hyungwon does. Both withdraw their hands when they wrap around Changkyun’s forearm at the same time. It’s a tense but awkward silence that follows.

Changkyun whines a little and sniffles, trying not to focus on the pain that is causing his eyes to water. “It’s okay,” he manages to whisper out, breathing in deeply to mitigate the radiating pain from where he hit his head. He puts on a small smile. “I guess we’re done here,” he says weakly, trying not to bring the atmosphere any more down than it already is.

As they make to leave, Hoseok turns to Changkyun. “How are you getting home?”

Changkyun looks down at his phone. It’s a quarter to midnight and briefly, Changkyun is amazed how long they spent in the cafe just talking. “I was going to walk,” he admits. It’s not super appealing but not too many trustworthy taxis or Ubers run this late at night.

“We can take you home,” Hoseok offers. Hyungwon nods behind him.

Changkyun is reluctant, still feeling how carefully they walk on eggshells now when they talk. “Are you sure?”

“It’s fine, Changkyun-ah,” Hyungwon huffs. “You’re on the way anyways.”

“And,” Hoseok adds, a small smile in Hyungwon’s direction before his eyes widen and he wipes it off his face, “I would, I mean, we’d feel better knowing that you got back safe.”

“Alright,” Changkyun agrees, He climbs into the backseat and is reminded on the car ride all those weeks ago. The drive back is silent and even though Hyungwon is awake, there is no soft chatter that fills the air. It makes Changkyun feel bad that he’s ruined something so precious.

When they finally arrive, Changkyun climbs out the car and signals for Hyungwon to roll down his window. “I’m sorry, hyungs.”

Hyungwon groans and brings a hand to cover his face. “Changkyun, we already told you, you don’t have to apologize. It’s not your fault.”

Changkyun shakes his head. “I shouldn’t have assumed,” he admits. He cuts off Hyungwon before he can argue. “Please don’t let my words affect your relationship, whether it be romantic or platonic,” he asks them. “I’m apologizing because I think my words might have ruined something great.” With a sigh, he says, “Goodnight, hyungs,” and turns around to make the walk to his dorm.

A soft “goodnight, Changkyun” echoes behind him before the car lights move and the night is quiet once again.

 

\-- --

 

“What did you do, Changkyun?” Jooheon complains as they wash the dishes together.

“What do you mean? I didn’t do anything.” Changkyun wipes his forehead with his arm and looks at Jooheon in mild alarm.

“Hyungwonho,” Jooheon says and suddenly it makes sense. “The UST is driving me crazy. It’s even more than it was before!”

“The UST?”

“The Unresolved Sexual Tension, Changkyun. Keep up.”

Changkyun shrugs. He can’t really tell, only that he’s relieved that the week after that fateful date, everything had gone back to normal. The first few days afterwards had been so full of tension it was almost palpable, but the weekend came with a scolding from Hyunwoo and everything had settled.

Truth is, Changkyun doesn’t know what Jooheon is talking about. Hoseok and Hyungwon act the same that they’ve always have, hand-holding and cuddling, staring at each other when the other isn’t looking. Nothing in the past month after that day tells Changkyun anything about unresolved sexual tension. They’re touchy with each other but they’re touchy with everyone, including Changkyun, so he doesn’t really consider that. Groping Hoseok’s butt is a group activity.

“Dunno, man.” He rolls his arms back and winces as his back cracks a little.

“Anyways,” Jooheon says as they put away the dishes, “Hyunwoo-hyung and I are doing a gig at this club,  _ V.I.P _ . _. _ We can bring a couple guests. Do you want to come? Everyone else already agreed.”

Changkyun hesitates. “I don’t know, clubs aren’t really my scene, you know?”

“Nah, man, I get you. Just thought to offer. If you change your mind, the offer’s still open.”

Changkyun looks down at the suds on his hands. “You said everyone is going?” Jooheon nods. “I’ll go,” Changkyun says, eyes set in determination. He flashes a smile to Jooheon. “Can’t miss you and Hyunwoo-hyung on the stage.”

Jooheon looks doubtful and he makes those doubts known. “You sure?” When Changkyun nods, Jooheon breaks into a bright smile. “You’re the best, man. It’ll be fun, the stage Hyunwoo-hyung and I have prepared will be so lit. He’s dancing and I’m rapping and we might do a collab song if we can finish it in time. Oh,” he pauses, “do you need someone to pick you up?  _ V.I.P.  _ is kind of far from the university.”

Before Changkyun can answer, Kihyun appears behind them where Changkyun presumes he was listening in from the kitchen. “Hoseok-hyung and Hyungwon could probably take him,” he suggests, picking a little at his ear. “You’ve got clubbing clothes, Changkyun?”

“I’ve got a shirt and pants,” Changkyun offers up, deadpan.

“Lose the shirt and you’ll be good,” Minhyuk says, popping up behind Kihyun and Changkyun wonders if there is a world where Minhyuk and Kihyun aren’t attached at the hips because how the hell did Minhyuk suddenly show up. The scandalized expression of Changkyun’s face makes Minhyuk laugh and he holds his hands up, chortling. “Joking, joking.”

Kihyun hums. “Minhyuk and I can stop by your dorm to see if we can scavenge something together. And we’ll just take you with us, instead.”

And that they do. Changkyun sits on his bed and watches as the two dig through his closet, minimized to fit the two small dorm room closets. There’s a pile of clothes thrown on the other bed, clothes that the twin terrors had brought from their own closet and clothes from Changkyun’s own closet deemed  _ possibly acceptable _ , and Changkyun looks at it with growing apprehension because he sees a mesh shirt amongst there.

“Geez, Changkyun,” Kihyun groans, “you only have a bunch of hoodies and a ton of different jackets but your closet is so disorganized. It’s like a pig sty. You need to clean it better,” he lectures as he carefully hangs some of the clothes he’s been rummaging through on the floor. 

“Yes, mom,” Changkyun groans, rolling his eyes. He spreads out on his bed and asks, “Were you able to find anything?”

Minhyuk bounces to his side and ruffles his hair. “Luckily, yes,” he says, taking Changkyun’s hand and pulling him up so he’s sitting upright. “Look, pick from these, alright? We want you to look nice but also comfortable as well.”

Changkyun stands up and rummages through the shirts they’ve selected. He tosses out the mesh shirt much to Minhyuk’s and Kihyun’s disappointment (he knows because they subtly try to sneak it back into the pile before he tosses it out again) and the long-sleeve shirt that looks like it was eaten by raccoons (he suspects it’s Kihyun’s). Finally, he decides on a plain black button-down that he remembers buying a size up by accident. It fits fine but the top button hangs dangerously lower than Changkyun needs for professional encounters, exposing the top of his chest. To put it shortly, it’s the perfect clubbing shirt.

As he’s putting on the shirt, Kihyun digs through the pants they selected to find a pair that will match. He tosses Changkyun a pair of jeans with rips in the knees and thighs, a pair Changkyun remembers accidentally putting in the wash for too long that it shrunk and became more form-fitting than he would have liked. Nonetheless, he listens to what Kihyun and Minhyuk say and puts on the jeans that cling to him like a second skin. 

“He looks good, Kihyun-ah,” Minhyuk comments, scanning Changkyun up and down. The red-haired waiter is wearing his own version of Changkyun’s outfit and a toothy smile, “but he could use a little more something, if you know what I’m talking about.”

“I’ve got some things,” Kihyun says, pulling out what looks like a belt used for bondage and a thin silver necklace. “Was going to give him the choker,” he says, gesturing to the thin black choker around his neck and shrugging, “but I wanted to wear it today. It goes well with the shirt.” 

The necklace he does give Changkyun has two layers, one that hangs a little lower and one with a small pendant that rests at the base of his neck. Paired with plain black boots, the outfit looks, dare he say, sexy, and Changkyun is almost surprised that he can pull it off. Kihyun walks him through the make-up steps like he did back when Changkyun first started at  _ Monbebe Ramen _ , dabbing BB cream to cover Changkyun’s acne scars. It changes everything. He knows he’s handsome when he tries, but this speaks to a more innate sense of attractiveness that Changkyun normally has to actively work towards to achieve. He’s impressed.

Nevertheless, he’s even more impressed by the outfits the other employees have chosen to wear. Jooheon is wearing something similar to him except his shirt hugs his figure and exposes his forearms, hair slicked up, a sharp contrast from the cute dimpled busboy he knows Jooheon as. Hyunwoo has a sleeveless button down with a similar collar-style necklace, revealing tanned biceps. The two look like they’re ready to wow people off their feet on stage, charisma flowing off of them in waves.

But when Hoseok and Hyungwon step into the club, any words that Changkyun could say dries up in his mouth. It’s an understatement to say the two look good. Even the dim club lights can’t hide their beauty. Hyungwon is completely covered up except for the single rips at the knees and he has a black button-down and his sleeves extend past his hands, giving him an air of innocence that contrasts with the smoky eye makeup and black rings that line his fingers. It’s a fascinating paradox that Hyungwon pulls off with amazing finesse.

Next to him, Hoseok takes a similar approach and makes it his own, wearing a loose black silk button-down with the top two and bottom two buttons left unbuttoned. Half the shirt is tucked into tight jeans covered in so many rips that it exposes the tattoo on Hoseok’s thigh, the cursive ink like a beacon to the eyes. When he raises his arm to wave, one half of the shirt rises, exposing pale skin and rippled muscles. But the true centerpiece of his outfit, he tells Changkyun later, is the collar, a thin belt wrapped around his neck that gives him the illusion of being down for something much dirtier than dancing.

Jooheon and Hyunwoo aren’t performing till later, so they order some food and have dinner before the club gets too crowded. Hyungwon and Jooheon are the designated drivers for the night, which leaves the others to get drinks after their meal. Hyunwoo declines until after his stage, his body thrumming with the anticipation of performance. Changkyun knocks back a shot and winces as it burns going down. He’s never really liked hard alcohol, preferring wine over soju and beer and whatever is currently being poured into the drinks the bartenders are mixing.

He settles for casually sipping at a strawberry daiquiri slowly, his own alcohol tolerance strengthened from downing wine after he had returned to school from his military service and remembered the experience called midterms. He’s only about a fourth of the way through when Jooheon and Hyunwoo stand to prepare for their stage. Kihyun and Minhyuk each take one of his hands and drag him to the dance floor in front of the stage where bodies writhe in some form of dancing. Hoseok and Hyungwon follow after, leaving the table empty, although Changkyun doesn’t worry, knowing that they’ve stashed their belongings in Hoseok’s car.

The crowd cheers when the flashing lights in the club dim and the spotlight shines on a muscular man wearing a leather jacket. Hyunwoo croons softly into the mic, a perfect rendition of every song he decides to sing, and then the beat drops and Jooheon appears. Hyunwoo flips on his snapback and as Jooheon raps, he dances, the movements powerful and strong, but effortlessly smooth. With a bow, Hyunwoo goes off stage and rejoins them in the crowd, only Hyungwon keeping him from standing out in the crowd due to his height.

From there, Jooheon takes center stage, and when Jooheon takes the stage, Changkyun finds out, the crowd goes wild. Everyone is screaming and singing as he performs and he follows along, feeling the heavy bass echoing in his heart. He’s surrounded by his friends, Minhyuk and Kihyun jumping along to the song screaming lyrics at each other, Hoseok and Hyungwon facing each other and grinding. Changkyun turns to Hyunwoo who’s bopping his head and they dance together, arm in arm, bouncing to the fast-paced rhythm Jooheon has set up.

They switch partners when Jooheon puts on a more sensual song and the mood doesn’t die but rather shifts until the dance floor feels hot with passion. Kihyun and Minhyuk surround Hyunwoo, draping themselves over his arms, a stray hand (Minhyuk’s, Changkyun thinks) splayed over the curve of Hyunwoo’s ass.

Changkyun is alerted to a warm presence at his back, a pair of warm hands settling around his hips. He moves back ever so slightly, so that he can sway his hips with the person holding on to his and he shivers when the person’s grip tightens around him and he leans forward to nose at Changkyun’s neck. “Are you having fun, Changkyunnie?” a familiar voice says beside his ear. A tongue slivers out and it makes Changkyun gasp, throwing his head back, where he sees a flash of violet hair.

Before he can register that Hoseok is the one he’s dancing with, Hyungwon crowds into his space, eyes  dark with something unreadable. But instead of pushing Changkyun aside, he reaches around him to grab Hoseok’s shoulders, squishing Changkyun between the two. Changkyun moans at the feeling, face pressed into the curve of Hyungwon’s shoulder and Hyungwon’s own hips moving in a way that only dancers can.

It’s almost too much, being in between two gods that have him panting with lust and that leave tingles across his body wherever they touch. Changkyun feels dazed and he briefly wonders if it’s the alcohol that all his inhibitions have been thrown at the window. Hoseok seems drunk, the way he clumsily kisses his way up Changkyun’s neck, leaving a sloppy kiss on his cheek before biting his ear, just barely missing the piercing there. Changkyun squeaks when he does so and is rewarded with a soft giggle and a soft kiss where Hoseok bit.

But Hyungwon isn’t drunk, can’t be drunk because he has to drive everyone home. He’s not as forward as Hoseok but he bends his head down and follows the trail Hoseok leaves until Changkyun’s knees feel weak, until he looks down at Changkyun with his eyes half-lidded and their breaths mix together. He removes one hand from Hoseok’s shoulders and uses a finger to lift Changkyun’s chin so that they’re staring right at each other. Distantly, something hard presses against Changkyun’s back and he’s momentarily confused because didn’t Hoseok advise them to leave their phones in the car?

But everything narrows down to Hyungwon’s lips as the taller leans closer until his lips are just mere millimeters from touching Changkyun’s. He can feel the soft puffs of Hyungwon’s breaths across his lips and he opens his mouth slightly. Changkyun feels frozen, the hands on his hips locking him in place, Hoseok’s soft kisses on the back of his neck just further adding to the dizzying effect of being between the two men.

“Tell me if you want to stop,” Hyungwon commands softly, not breaking eye contact. The words go over Changkyun’s head, lost in the headrush that’s taken over him.

But before Changkyun can lean forward and close the distance Jooheon shouts “Thank you!” and the crowd cheers, bumping into them and breaking the moment. Hyungwon’s hands fall away from where they were keeping Changkyun trapped and he leans back, trying to keep his balance amongst the rushing crowd.

“I’m- I’m going to go back to the table,” Changkyun stammers. “It’s a little… hot in here,” and he breaks free from Hoseok’s grip and pushes his way out of the dancing clubbers as a electronic dance song takes over. Jooheon stops him and Changkyun congratulates the rapper but he feels antsy, a bad feeling settling over his stomach.

“You okay?”

“Just a little thirsty,” Changkyun says. “I’m headed back to the table anyways.”

“Be careful with the drinks,” he warns then hesitates. “Let me know if you need anything, okay?” Jooheon says with a worried look. Changkyun gives him an  _ okay _ sign and he goes to join the others dancing, leaving Changkyun to make it to the table by himself.

Changkyun accidentally bumps into a taller man, who grabs his arms to keep him steady. “Sorry,” he murmurs, not looking up, and forcing himself out of the man’s grip. He pushes past him, wincing at the close proximity.

He collapses in the booth, heart still thrumming and body still slightly overheated. His mouth feels dry and he licks his lips only to think about how close Hyungwon had been to kissing him. Changkyun looks over to the dance floor where Hyungwon and Hoseok are dancing against each other, the picture of a happy relationship, and he scolds himself for thinking that.

A thin trail of sweat slips down from his forehead and down his neck and Changkyun suddenly feels how dry his mouth is. The strawberry daquiri from earlier is still on the table, a little watered down but still cold. He takes a couple cautionary sips, not noting anything strange. The heat is dizzying so he drinks a little more trying to clear his head, but it seems the alcohol just makes it more foggy. He attempts a few more sips, the cool liquid refreshing in his mouth before he becomes too dizzy to continue. Changkyun rests his head on his arms, trying to calm the nausea, the booming bass adding to the headache.

A few songs pass by before Changkyun begins to feel more relaxed. There’s a strange drowsiness that follows but the nausea doesn’t pass. He tries to stand up to join the others, dismissing the feeling as too much to drink combined with sensory overload. His legs wobble and he stands unsteadily, gripping the table to keep his balance.

A part of Changkyun recognizes something is wrong. He’s gotten drunk before and he’s not a relaxed nor floppy drunk. This sensation is weird and the nausea swirling around in Changkyun’s head throws him off balance as he tries to escape the booth. He stumbles, trying to make his way to the others but his limbs don’t listen to him and he trips over nothing.

Cold hands grab him by the arms and Changkyun looks up to see the same man he bumped into earlier on the way to the table. The man grins and looks down at him with a predatory smile, the grip on his arms tight and almost bruising. “Now where could this little cutie be going,” the man coos, a lecherous hand rubbing a thumb over Changkyun’s face. And Changkyun doesn’t know whether it’s whatever was in his drink or the sheer disgust he feels that makes him want to vomit, maybe both.

He tries to struggle his way free but he feels like he doesn’t have much control over his limbs anymore, barely able to stand upright on his own, hands shaking with the effort. The man’s grip is too strong and Changkyun too out of it to even have a fighting chance. Even if he wants to scream, the swirling in his head leaves his tongue loose and he can barely make a sound that’s not a whimper of distress.

“I need to get to my friends,” he manages to slur out, vision darkening around the edges, trying to twist his way out of the man’s grip. He’s dragged along, legs tripping over each other as he wobbles dangerously. A hand wraps around his waist and guides Changkyun forward and unlike Hoseok’s tingling touch, only pure fear races through him.

“Trust me, I’ll get you right where you need to be,” the man says with a dark grin as he drags Changkyun distinctly away from the crowd and towards the back door. Changkyun can’t fight, not when his limbs won’t obey him and when he tries to call for help, it’s slurred and unintelligible to anyone not paying attention. He does the next best thing that his hazy mind can think of and he goes deadweight in the man’s grasp, dragging his feet as much as he can.

He’s pulled roughly and he winces as the tugging jostles his head, the world swirling around him. He feels sick and he bends down to quell the dizziness, which causes him to lose balance and drag the man to the ground with him. The man let’s him go and Changkyun reaches out to grab something, anything, to help himself up and to get away. But just as he stands up, something wraps around his ankle and pulls and Changkyun goes down again, groaning as the constant motion agitates the building nausea.

Changkyun blinks and his vision blurs more, until it’s only the faintest outlines that he can make out. It’s becoming more difficult to keep his eyes open and there’s a strange heaviness that settles into his limbs. His headache roars at full force behind his eyes and Changkyun is so tired. Someone bends down to grab his hand and heaves him up so that he’s standing upright but his legs wobble and threaten to give out under him and Changkyun groans because he won’t be able to handle another fall without passing out. The same cold hand slithers around his waist and drags him forward and Changkyun can’t stop his body from moving.

His head falls forward and lolls about, and it’s done. The only thing that hasn’t gone to sleep in Changkyun’s body is his mind and that is well on its way, pure exhaustion creeping up unwillingly. However, the rough movement as the man drags him along, throwing away all pretenses of gentleness, only cause his head to spin more and the nausea to rear its ugly head. Changkyun can’t even think straight enough to understand that the stuttering in his heart might be panic.

The movement stops and he sighs in relief. He can’t make out much, the world a dull blur hidden behind the roaring that echoes in his ears and the cloud of fog that layers his vision. But it doesn’t last long before Changkyun is pulled backwards into a warm embrace and he moans, the dizziness becoming unbearable. There’s quiet murmuring that he can barely make out. Someone lifts him up and his vision blanks, his heart stuttering in his chest, before he’s gently deposited on a booth where his head rests on someone’s lap.

Thin but long fingers gently weave through his hair and he sighs, feeling his eyelids droop even more, the sensation familiar and comforting. “Hyung,” he croaks out, and Hyungwon hums softly into his ear, a quiet song that calms his racing heart and dulls the radiating pain in his head. Changkyun turns his head and Hyungwon’s arm tightens around him. “Hyung,” he tries again.

Hyungwon makes a soft sound of acknowledgment. “Yes, Changkyunnie?” The way he holds Changkyun is protective and it makes Changkyun feel safe despite the ordeal.

“I’m really tired,” Changkyun admits and his eyes flutter as he tries to stay awake. The heaviness in his limbs is almost comforting now that he’s with Hyungwon and the call of sleep beckons him. “Hyung,” he moans, as his eyelids droop and his head begins to go blank.

He falls asleep like that, in the middle of the club, on Hyungwon’s lap, to a quiet whisper of, “It’s okay, you can sleep. I’ve got you.” The world dims and the sensation of fingers running through his hair is left before it goes black and Changkyun remembers no more.

 

 


	2. Chapter 2: Hoseok and Hyungwon

 

 

Changkyun wakes up with no memory of the night before. Hoseok is immensely grateful for that because those memories are ingrained in his head, embedded in his retinas, and they play in his nightmares on loop like the horror movies that Hoseok is so scared of watching.

Hoseok remembers and he wishes he didn’t because the playback goes like this:

 

“What was that,” he breathes into Hyungwon’s ear as they dance. His hands are on Hyungwon’s hips but he can still fill the wider shape of Changkyun’s on his palms. He closes his eyes and falls back into the sensation that is Hyungwon.

Hyungwon is tall and lithe and although he doesn’t have the muscular body of dancers like Hyunwoo and Hoseok, there’s power within the willowy frame. He grinds his hips against Hoseok’s and Hoseok’s breath hitches. It makes him remember the soft sounds that Changkyun made as he danced between the two and Hoseok feels the tightness in his pants.

“Sorry,” Hyungwon mumbles, arms casually thrown over Hoseok’s shoulders. “I won’t do it again if it makes you uncomfortable.”

And Hoseok must still be drunk because he blurts out, “No, it’s okay. I liked it. It was hot.”

Hyungwon smiles lightly. “I figured.” Hoseok grins back and leans in until his and Hyungwon’s foreheads touch each other. Their lips touch, chaste but when Hoseok pulls back, his smile is more of a smirk. Hyungwon blinks and returns the smirk, eyes bright, as he leans down again and presses plush lips against Hoseok’s. “I’ll need to thank Changkyun later,” he says as he pulls back.

Hoseok feels light from the bottle of soju he’s downed and he giggles, remembering the tension that had lingered between the two after, as he dubs it,  _ the accidental date _ . How in those short days, they were scared of touching each other, of showing affection, drawing out time until it ran at a snail’s pace. Then the fateful kiss that made everything clear happened and the world clicked into place. Hyungwon and Hoseok, Hoseok and Hyungwon, it just made sense.

But Changkyun, the center of their little soiree, the reason Hyungwon and Hoseok became Hyungwon  _ and _ Hoseok, also draws Hoseok in like a moth to a fire. And judging from the lust-blown pupils in Hyungwon’s eyes, Hyungwon also feels the attraction. And it would be a lie to say that Hoseok did not have certain…  _ interests _ in the bedroom. He smirks a little. It’s no wonder the two have always gotten along so well.

Jooheon appears behind them and they congratulate him for a job well done, praising his set and his skills until Jooheon goes red with embarrassment and makes haste to join Hyunwoo, who is dancing in the middle of a crowd of people that whoop and holler as he body rolls. Hoseok sighs in satisfaction, enjoying the moment, but a feeling of something missing constantly lingers.

Changkyun must be tired, he thinks, as the song changes once again and the strobing lights take on a different pattern. Hyungwon rubs sleepily at his eyes and Hoseok smiles softly, fondly. “Hey, why don’t we go join Changkyun at the table?” he suggests, taking Hyungwon’s hand in his own and pulling him through the pulsing crowd. He bends his head down, trying not to be smacked in the face by a waving hand.

Suddenly Hyungwon freezes and Hoseok looks back curiously. Hyungwon, who stands over the crowd, just a little over Hoseok, seems to have his eyes trained on something a little beyond the mass of people. Hoseok follows his gaze and his stomach sinks.

Changkyun is leaning against some stranger’s chest, the other man gripping Changkyun’s arms to keep him steady. The man is handsome, in an arrogant rich boy way, with perfectly styled hair and clothes more expensive than anything Hoseok could afford in a year. Hoseok can’t see Changkyun’s face but can see how relaxed his body looks and a part of him feels envy, feels upset that Changkyun refuses to let down his guard in front of them but does so for this random person that Hoseok doesn’t know.

Hyungwon’s hand tightens around his and he turns back to the taller to look at him with confusion. There’s an unreadable look in his eyes and Hoseok doesn’t know what it means. When he looks back at Changkyun, the boy (cause Hoseok sees him as too cute and young to be anything but) is leaning against the man as he leads Changkyun away from the crowd. Changkyun stumbles along and Hoseok wonders if that’s the type of drunk Changkyun is, a clumsy, silly drunk with a smile as wide as the sky.

But then Changkyun falls and the sinking feeling in his stomach becomes something else, something ugly and cruel. He watches as Changkyun grabs onto a leg of a barstool and pushes himself off the ground, where he wobbles dangerously like he’s not in control of his body. There’s alarms blaring in Hoseok’s head, and it’s not from the music, because the daze that the alcohol had set over him is gone and the world is in startling clarity.

Hoseok continues pushing through the crowd, Hyungwon following after him, just in time to see Changkyun collapse to the ground again and the alarms in Hoseok’s head get louder. As he gets closer, he can see Changkyun struggle as the man pulls him up roughly and Hoseok can finally identify that feeling.  _ Anger. _ It burns in his chest and he accidentally tightens his hand harshly around Hyungwon’s, who winces but doesn’t complain. Hoseok can’t even turn around to look at Hyungwon’s expression, too trained on Changkyun, but his hand squeezes Hoseok’s in reply and Hoseok knows that Hyungwon has figured it out as well.

Changkyun continues to look more and more out of it and he stops struggling as the man grabs him and forces him towards the exit. It’s suddenly too obvious what has happened and Hoseok burns with rage, wants to rip those filthy hands off of Changkyun and destroy the bastard who would dare drug him. 

This part is a blur to Hoseok. He remembers pushing through the crowd as Hyungwon yells for the others, voice lost amongst the bass and blaring music. He grabs hold of the man’s arm and squeezes, stopping him from moving. The piece of trash turns and looks at him with an annoyed glare, one that if Hoseok hadn’t known better, could be misconstrued as an annoyed boyfriend taking his drunk boyfriend back home.

In the corner of his eye, he sees Changkyun’s head loll forward and the anger burns so intensely, tears build in his eyes.

“Hey, I need to get this one home,” the man says, just the right twinge of annoyance in his voice to make bystanders lose interest.

“You need to let him go,” Hoseok says, voice as steady as he can make it when he’s already overbrewing with emotions.

The man looks down at Changkyun and turns to Hoseok with a leer. “Oh, you want a piece of him too?” And Hoseok loses it. He rips Changkyun from the man’s arms and Changkyun moans, in pain, in distress, in something, Hoseok doesn’t know what but it only ignites the fire that destroys the last piece of Hoseok’s compassion.

Hyungwon gently pulls Changkyun from his grasp and Hoseok lets everything out. He punches the man across the face and even when he goes down, the fire burns so intensely that he keeps punching until the man is screaming for mercy. The tears in his eyes get in the way and he’s gasping for breath. Faintly, he can hear Kihyun and Minhyuk pulling him off the bastard and Jooheon patting his face carefully, whispering “Hyung, hyung, stop.”

Hoseok is distraught. He can feel the lingering pain in his knuckles and even as Jooheon walks on glass around him, reassuring him that  _ the damage is done, Kihyun and Minhyuk will make sure he doesn’t run away, the cops are coming _ , Hoseok feels like he’s swimming in a glass. It only breaks when a firm hand grips his shoulder and he turns to see Hyunwoo.

“Changkyun’s okay, Hoseok. I got him back to the booth and Hyungwon is watching over him. He’s resting now.” Hyunwoo’s voice is calm and soothing and slowly Hoseok begins to feel more like himself again. There’s lingering regret, one that is divided between  _ I shouldn’t have done that _ and  _ I should have done more _ . Under Hyunwoo’s careful hand, Hoseok stumbles to where Changkyun and Hyungwon are sitting.

A head of dark hair that looks navy under the flashing club lights rests on Hyungwon’s lap and Hyungwon’s pale fingers are a stark contrast as they thread through the hair. A soft smile plays on Hyungwon’s lips.

Hoseok plops next to Hyungwon with a sigh and Hyungwon pauses, startled. “Hyung,” he says, “Are you okay?”

Hoseok shakes his head, feeling too wired after the fight to answer properly. “How is he?” he croaks out, trying to calm his racing heart. It’s over, he reminds himself. Changkyun is safe. He’s  _ okay _ .

“A little shaken up, I guess.” Hyungwon pauses. “To be honest, that might just be me. I can’t get it out of my head that something could have happened to him right under our noses. We were lucky he saw him before something worse happened.”

“I get you,” Hoseok sighs, stretching his arms and bringing a hand down to join Hyungwon’s in Changkyun’s hair. The boy in Hyungwon’s lap sighs lightly but doesn’t move and Hoseok’s heart aches.

The police come quickly, bags the remaining strawberry daiquiri as evidence, and lead the man (who’s a little more beaten and a little more bruised than how Hoseok had left him in Minhyuk and Kihyun’s care) away in handcuffs. Jooheon and Hyunwoo watch silently before they make their way to the table.

Jooheon looks regretful as he stares down Changkyun’s sleeping face. “I should have warned him better. I’m sorry this happened, hyung.”

Hoseok looks at Jooheon and he can see the guilt that lingers in his eyes, can see that he blames himself for getting Changkyun into the situation, for not doing enough to prevent it, and Hoseok knows all this because he feels it inside himself too. He shakes his head. “It’s okay,” he says, “you didn’t know this was going to happen. You tried to warn him.” Jooheon still looks doubtful but he lets it go.

Kihyun steps up behind them. “They said we can take Changkyun home now.”

“They don’t need him to testify or anything?” Hoseok asks, anxious. He doesn’t want Changkyun to have to relive this nightmare if he can help it.

Minhyuk shakes his head. “Says the guy confessed. All Changkyun has to do is press charges, which he can do over the phone.”

“Hoseok, you and Hyungwon were planning to take Changkyun home, right?” Hyunwoo asks, studying his face carefully.  “You’ve got him?” Hoseok nods his head. Hyunwoo gives him a small pat on the back before he follows Jooheon out.

Kihyun tells Minhyuk to go with Hyunwoo and Jooheon first before he turns to Hoseok. “Hyung, I don’t think Changkyun can be alone tonight.”

“It’s alright. We’ve got him.” Hoseok waves goodbye to Kihyun who disappears to the outside world before he turns back to Hyungwon and Changkyun. Changkyun looks so peaceful that he almost doesn’t want to break the spell but the club’s music and lights leave an uncomfortable feeling up Hoseok’s spine.

He bends down and lifts Changkyun up, one arm under his back and the other under his knees. Changkyun’s head bends back before Hoseok shifts his arm a bit so that his head rests against Hoseok’s chest. Hyungwon leads the way and climbs into the driver’s seat.

“I’ll sit in the back with him,” he tells Hyungwon before carefully setting Changkyun down to lay across the backseat and lifting his head gently so that Changkyun’s head rests in Hoseok’s lap, similar to how Hyungwon did it in the club. The car ride is silent, only Changkyun’s soft snores and the light rustle of hair as Hoseok combs his fingers through Changkyun’s hair.

As they approach the university, Hoseok looks down in his lap and feels the straining of his heart. Under the street lamps that they pass by, Changkyun seems so pale, so small, that a fierce protectiveness fills Hoseok such that the moment he thinks of letting Changkyun go back out in the world alone, the voice in his head wails with fear. He thinks back to what Kihyun said before he left and he makes his decision.

“I don’t think Changkyun is any condition to get back to his room himself. I think it’s better to take him home with us so we can watch over him,” he tells Hyungwon, who only grunts in agreement and drives past the university. Changkyun remains limp in his lap and doesn’t react even as he leans down and whispers to him, “we’re taking you back to our place, is that okay?” and it confirms Hoseok’s fear that Changkyun is not well enough to be on his own at the moment.

They arrive back at their apartment, the elevator out of order for the tenth time this month, and Hoseok carries Changkyun up the one flight of stairs that lead to their apartment. He momentarily thinks it’s a blessing in disguise that he’s scared of heights.

Their apartment is small but it has two beds, a relic from their days as  _ just friends _ . Hoseok tells Hyungwon to get ready for bed, that he’ll take care of Changkyun. He settles Changkyun in his own bed but frowns when he realizes what Changkyun is wearing. The club clothes smell faintly of alcohol and sweat and Hoseok knows that when Changkyun wakes up tomorrow, it’ll be uncomfortable and painful to have slept in such tight pants.

He rummages through his and Hyungwon’s shared closet, eyebrows furrowed. Changkyun is closer to Hyungwon’s weight but closer to Hoseok’s height. Hyungwon comes out in a bathrobe and brushing his teeth, looking confused as Hoseok rummages through the drawers, hoping to find comfortable clothes to put Changkyun in. He disappears again and returns wearing a loose shirt and pajama pants, face clean. In his hands are make-up wipes.

“Hyung,” he says, “go wash up. I’ll take care of it.” And Hoseok goes because he still feels wired and the stress makes it hard for him to make coherent decisions so late at night. The last sight he sees is Hyungwon carefully wiping Changkyun’s face and Hoseok feels unbearable fondness before the bathroom door shuts behind him.

Hoseok’s always taken long showers, finds that it helps him with the stress relief, and he needs it because right now his body is tense and tight, the adrenaline still racing through his veins. He braces himself against the shower wall and breathes slowly, hoping the hot water will loosen his muscles. When he’s normally this stressed, he prefers to take a bath with a bath bomb but now, he can only think of Changkyun lying prone in his bed and his internal clock doesn’t allow him time for that.

He staggers out of the bathroom, only feeling a little better, dressed in a plain shirt and sweatpants. His hair is still damp and he drapes a towel over it before heading to where Hyungwon is staring down at Changkyun.

Changkyun’s still dressed in his club clothes and Hyungwon looks like he’s trying to figure something out. He looks up and smiles lightly in relief. “Hyung,” he breathes out, “I can’t lift him enough to change his clothes.” Hoseok looks closer and notices a pile of clothes on the side that Hyungwon must have picked out.

Hoseok leans down and tries to shake Changkyun awake but the smaller only lets out a strangled whine and turns away. There’s a slight puddle of drool on the pillow, a small smear against his lips. It’s only been an hour or two since he was drugged and Hoseok knows that it takes some time for the effects to wear off but his heart sinks because he knows that Changkyun is usually a light sleeper (judging from when he naps at  _ Monbebe Ramen _ ) and that this is  _ unusual _ .

Slowly, Hoseok lifts Changkyun up and Hyungwon leans down to undo his belt and unbutton his shirt. Soft, pale skin appears and Hoseok knows that if this had been any other situation, he would have traced the skin with hungry eyes, but now, all he can feel is pure disgust. Disgust that this could have been happening without Changkyun’s consent, disgust that anyone would want to take advantage of someone so pure. Hyungwon pulls the sleeping hoodie over Changkyun’s head, making his hair even more messy and when he emerges, Hoseok sees someone too young and innocent for what he’s been given.

Hoseok doesn’t even look when they change his pants, can’t bear to see soft pale thighs reveal themselves, his heart churning at the sexual nature of the act, because he doesn’t feel any of that, doesn’t feel anything but worry and protectiveness. Hyungwon tosses Changkyun’s clothes in the hamper and turns to Hoseok with a nod towards their bed.

Hoseok spares a few more moments to watch Changkyun sleep, trying to remind himself that everything is fine now before he climbs into Hyungwon’s bed and wraps his arms around Hyungwon. The taller turns around and looks at him, sleep already seeping through his veins.

“Goodnight, hyung,” he whispers, and Hoseok leaves a soft kiss on his lips before Hyungwon falls to slumber. He listens to the gentle breathing next to him and across from him and he falls asleep to the steady reminders in his head.  _ It’s okay, everything’s okay _ .

 

\-- --

 

It’s not new, Hyungwon waking up late on the weekends. When he isn’t working at  _ Monbebe Ramen _ , he likes to spend the day relaxing and writing, the literature degree that he’s earned attempting to be useful for something. It’s not new that he wakes up alone in bed, the smell of eggs and bacon seeping through the closed bedroom door, the sun shining through open curtains.

But when he stumbles out of bed, yawning, there is something new. “Good morning,” he mumbles, voice still slurred with sleep, and Hoseok and Changkyun greet him.

Changkyun is seated at one the barstools they bought so they could eat at the kitchen counter and he looks freshly clean, hair a mess from the shower. It curls at the ends and it gives the younger an air of innocence and homeliness that makes Hyungwon smile. He’s wrapped in Hyungwon’s hoodie, too long that the sleeves bunch around his hands that hold a cup of hot chocolate. The neck of the hoodie hangs low, revealing the mole at the bottom of Changkyun’s neck.

Hyungwon takes the seat next to him and flops his head down on his arms, letting out a long yawn. He turns to look at Changkyun and he lets out a small sigh of relief. Changkyun looks okay, doesn’t look too worse for wear, maybe a little pale at the most.

“Ah,” Changkyun complains, rubbing a little at his forehead, “I must have drank too much at the club last night. I don’t remember anything.” Hyungwon and Hoseok freeze at that and the ensuing silence causes Changkyun to look at the curiously. “Hyungs?” He hesitates and Hyungwon’s heart breaks a little because he looks so unsure. “Did something happen?”

It’s not an easy question to answer. Hyungwon looks over at Hoseok who seems to be having an internal battle and Hyungwon knows exactly what it is over. Do they tell the truth or is the truth too traumatizing? Would Changkyun be better off not knowing? He knows that Hoseok is a martyr, knows that he’d rather hide the burden himself and protect Changkyun from having to remember everything. He knows that Hoseok won’t be the one to speak up unless he does first.

Hyungwon’s not the self-sacrificing type, doesn’t believe in concealing the facts to protect someone. Honesty is always the best policy but looking at Changkyun’s face, he almost doubts it. His eyes catch how Changkyun’s hands still have a small tremor to them and he almost lies but something in Changkyun’s gaze stops him.

There’s a quiet strength there, eyes that tell stories, eyes that Hyungwon could stare into and write a million poems and still have more inspiration to spare. Hyungwon’s never been one for niceties, for beating around the bush. “You were drugged,” he says bluntly.

It takes time for Changkyun to process but it soon dawns on him. But he doesn’t freak out or panic, only goes, “So that’s what Jooheon-hyung meant.”

And it would be lying to say that Hyungwon’s surprised because Changkyun stands strong against everything that comes his way. He can see Hoseok holding in the outrage, holding in the fears that they both felt when they found him being taken away, out of his mind. It’s best to let Changkyun come to terms with it slowly, rather than push all that dizzying worry onto him after such a terrifying ordeal.

“Nothing else happened though,” Hoseok says slowly, “we managed to get to you in time.” Changkyun nods, expression unreadable, and Hyungwon wonders how he must feel, knowing that he doesn’t remember anything that had happened.

“Are you okay, Changkyun?” Hyungwon asks, carefully placing a gentle hand on Changkyun’s shoulder. Changkyun doesn’t flinch, telling Hyungwon that Changkyun’s not panicking, not averse to touch, but his body is tense and the grip on his mug is just a little tighter.

Changkyun sighs. “I will be,” and that’s the best Hyungwon can ask for, knows that it’s the best he can get because no one comes out from something like that perfectly unscathed. “Thanks, hyungs,” he mumbles out and Changkyun’s low voice is so quiet that Hyungwon almost doesn’t hear it.

Hyungwon doesn’t respond to that, doesn’t want to be thanked when he didn’t really do anything. Hoseok likely feels the same because he easily changes the subject and the morning settles to like every other morning before it, Changkyun easily fitting in like he was supposed to be there the whole time.

They finish breakfast and Changkyun is lounging around on their couch, sweater falling over his hands and pajama pants pooled around his ankles as he sits, flicking through some channels on their TV. Hyungwon looks at the shows in distaste, the only reason he and Hoseok have cable is because it comes with the rent. 

“Hyung, I’m bored,” Changkyun whines and Hyungwon snorts because this is a different side to the usually mature and stoic university student. Hoseok has taken the car to go to his shift at  _ Monbebe Ramen _ and to update the others on how Changkyun is doing. But doing so leaves Changkyun and Hyungwon stranded at home until he returns. “Hoseok-hyung should have just dropped me back to my dorm when he was leaving for work,” he complains and Hyungwon sighs with fond exasperation.

“Hoseok forgot he had to work today and you know how Kihyun is with being late,” he reminds, slightly shuddering at the time that Hyungwon and Hoseok were late by half an hour and got an hour’s worth of scolding in return. “Plus the restaurant is getting busy and they’re missing two staff today so they’re going to need all the help that they can.”

Changkyun huffs, which causes his hair to blow off his face and Hyungwon coos internally, liking this pouty version of Changkyun. He’s very cute, wrapped in clothes too big and his complete lack of self-awareness on how cute he actually is. “I could have gone to work today, too” he mutters petulantly and Hyungwon agrees just to see Changkyun pout more.

“You could have,” Hyungwon says pointedly, “but do you want to?” And Changkyun’s reluctant silence is his answer. He nods and yawns, stretching his arms over his head before walking over to where Changkyun is sitting and plopping down next to him so that his long limbs almost smack Changkyun in the face. Changkyun groans and slaps him away playfully but allows Hyungwon to rest his head in Changkyun’s lap, lightly running fingers through his hair, and Hyungwon sighs, understanding why Changkyun seems to enjoy the sensation. “It’s okay, I didn’t want to go either.”

Changkyun scoffs and flicks Hyungwon’s forehead. “Yeah, but I have to pay off a debt,” he says scornfully. 

“And here I thought you actually liked us,” Hyungwon teases.

“As if.” Changkyun turns his nose up haughtily before breaking into a wide smile and Hyungwon’s heart beats a little louder in his ears.

Hyungwon laughs. “Well, if you don’t like us, we don’t like you either,” he says playfully, reaching to take one of Changkyun’s hands and play with his fingers. Changkyun’s hand is small and smooth, nails cut to the tips and Hyungwon smiles when Changkyun acquiesces. It’s more comforting than the fidget spinners that Kihyun and Minhyuk like to mess around with.

Next to his ear, he can hear Changkyun’s stomach grumble. “Hey, want me to make you something to eat?”

Changkyun looks down bashfully. “Ramen, right?”

Hyungwon let’s go of Changkyun’s hand and stands up, stretching. “I mean, I can. Unless you want something else?”

In a panic, Changkyun grabs his hand and stops him from walking to the kitchen. “No please, just ramen,” he begs. Hyungwon doesn’t know if he should feel offended or touched that Changkyun knows him so well.

“Relax,” he laughs, pulling his hand from Changkyun’s grip. “I was just going to order some delivery. You want pizza? Chicken?”

Changkyun pulls back. “Chicken, please,” he says sheepishly, scratching the back of his head.

“It’s too bad Kihyun isn’t here,” Hyungwon laughs, after he’s finished ordering. “We could have given him the leftovers.”

“Hyung,” Changkyun admonishes, hitting Hyungwon on the shoulder lightly with a teasing smile. Hyungwon just shrugs, returning the grin with his own. They’re pressed together on the couch, arm to arm, and it’s comfortable, even in the lingering silence. Hyungwon likes that about Changkyun, likes that Changkyun doesn’t feel an obligation to fill the space with chatter like Minhyuk, likes that Changkyun doesn’t have to be constantly busy like the rest of the employees. He’s a relaxing presence that Hyungwon didn’t know he needed.

He’s just about to ask Changkyun a question when the doorbell rings and Hyungwon gets up to answer it. The box of  _ Aroha Chicken _ is cutely decorated in pastel colors. “Do you want something to drink?” he asks as he sets the box down on the table.

“I would say beer because chimaek is Korean tradition,” Changkyun jokes but his voice falters a little as he says the next words, “but I don’t really feel like alcohol right now.”

Hyungwon hums, trying to go with the flow even though he knows that Changkyun is still a little traumatized. The last thing he remembers was getting drunk, but not really, so it’s all too easy to explain Changkyun’s current aversion to alcohol. “Too early for drinking anyways,” Hyungwon says. “Didn’t take you to be an alcoholic. If you’re not careful, you’re going to end up with a beer belly like Hyunwoo-hyung,” he teases.

“What? Hyunwoo-hyung doesn’t have a beer belly. He has six-pack abs. Probably more!” Changkyun laughs as he grabs the can of coke that Hyungwon hands him.

“Nah, those abs have all melted like butter now. Hoseok-hyung has the best abs,” Hyungwon declares.

Changkyun snorts. “You would know.”

“I would!” Hyungwon says, voice pitching slightly higher in fake indignation before he chokes around his drink from trying not to laugh. 

Changkyun laughs at him, with him, he doesn’t know, but Hyungwon feels a quiet sense of relief that he can stop Changkyun from lingering on the past. They make small talk over the box of chicken and soda, discussing Changkyun’s plans to visit Gwangju over the summer break, Hyungwon’s chances of being a model, and  _ Monbebe Ramen _ ’s increasing customer base.

“You guys could hire more workers,” Changkyun suggests. “I was the last person you hired, right?”

“Yeah, tell Hoseok-hyung and Hyunwoo-hyung that. I don’t know why but the customers don’t really like it when bring in new people to the team. They’re more okay with part-timers but full-time workers seem to have it harder.”

Changkyun looks confused. “Most of them are nice to me,” he points out, and Hyungwon can’t find it in himself to break his bubble.

“But you’re cute,” he complains. “And do you know how hard it is to find someone as cute as you to work for us?”

“It can’t be that hard,” Changkyun says, bending his head down a little. Hyungwon can see how the tips of his ears turn red and a part of him wants to reach out and pinch it, wants to recreate the lovely sounds that had slipped out of Changkyun’s mouth last night when they danced together. “Hyung? Hyung? You okay?”

Hyungwon blinks and he’s suddenly aware that he must have spaced out. “Sorry Changkyun, what?”

Changkyun looks at him strangely. “It’s nothing, hyung. Just,” he hesitates, “did you fall asleep while eating?”

“No,” Hyungwon splutters, insulted by the absurd accusation. “I don’t know what Minhyuk and Kihyun have been telling you but that’s only happened once.” He looks up and thinks about it. “Okay, twice.” Changkyun doesn’t even say anything, only looks at him with a blank expression, before he relents. “Fine, three times. But that’s all I’m admitting to.”

“Whatever you say, hyung” Changkyun mumbles, returning to his chicken. “Whatever you say.” Hyungwon squawks in protest but he’s cut off from arguing when Changkyun laughs, bright and happy. He let’s it go. For now.

Hoseok returns home to a box of leftover chicken and a soft peck in greeting from Hyungwon. Changkyun shuffles by the door, a bag of his newly laundered clothes from yesterday and some snacks from the pantry that Hyungwon has taken from Hoseok to give to the shorter. Hoseok strips off the bow tie and goes to grab a drink while Hyungwon and Changkyun finish putting on their shoes.

Changkyun has his boots on now but the pajama pants he’s wearing (Hyungwon thinks they’re Hoseok’s) still manage to drag on the floor. It’s endearing because Changkyun looks absolutely precious in the mix-match of Hyungwon’s and Hoseok’s clothes that he has on. Luckily, as accident-prone as Changkyun is, he doesn’t trip down the stairs from the too long clothes, although Hyungwon makes sure to keep an eye out just in case.

They drop him off at the dorm and Hyungwon watches Changkyun go. “It’s kind of like dropping your kid off to kindergarten,” he muses. “Sending them off into the big wide world, all on their own.” But there’s something a little off about the statement, he feels. It’s just that he has no idea what’s wrong with it.

Hoseok and Hyungwon eat dinner and go through their nightly routine. They prepare for bed side by side, fighting for the side of the mirror with the better light. They battle out in an intense game of rock-paper-scissors to decide which bed they’ll sleep in tonight. And they kiss softly until one of them falls asleep, usually Hyungwon.

It’s not new. Hasn't been for awhile. And Hyungwon likes that, likes the consistency that comes with being with Hoseok. But as they lay in Hoseok’s bed, Hoseok falling asleep first after a long day at  _ Monbebe Ramen _ , there's a presence that lingers behind and Hyungwon finds that he's ready for some change. Tomorrow, he thinks.

 

\-- --

 

The lights flicker off outside and Hoseok sighs, tired from the long day. It's a full staff day and even then, the customers keep coming, barely giving them any time for a break. Jooheon is getting a back rub from Minhyuk and Changkyun has his legs on top of another chair as he stretches.

Hoseok should complain that it's too much, that corporate isn't giving them enough rest, too little staff to too many customers, but he finds that a part of him is relieved. He's crunched the numbers with Hyunwoo, calculated costs needed to keep  _ Monbebe Ramen _ up and running, and Hoseok knows that they'll be out of the red in no time at this rate. Sure Hoseok could quit, but the benefits are good, the pay is nice, the hours are flexible, and he's loyal to the ragtag family they've made amongst the seven full-time employees.

It’s a little later than when they normally leave for the day, a few last minute customers that had come in, paramedics ending a morning shift, and Hoseok didn’t have the heart to turn them away. The sun has just set, almost summer, and the night is clear.

In the back, he can hear Changkyun groan about finals kicking his ass and he smiles lightly. The university student had taken a week off to study, so he’s making up by staying later than he normally does for the next few days.

“Sorry about that, man,” he hears Jooheon empathize, the only one that’s been to school in the past year. Changkyun shakes his head and picks up his backpack, filled with books and papers for his last final.

“Hyungs, I’m leaving now,” he announces. It takes only half a second for the alarms to start ringing in Hoseok’s ears.

“Wait, Changkyun,” he calls out, the boy turning just as he’s about to push open the door and leave for the night. “I’ll take you home.”

Changkyun hesitates. “You sure, hyung? What about Hyungwon-hyung?” And Hyungwon, who’s distinctly not helping clean up and is slouched over at a table, just looks up in a daze when he hears his name, just the slightest bit startled by the random “EUGEUH” he lets out. 

Hoseok shrugs. “Eh, he’ll be fine.”

“Alright, hyung,” Changkyun says, setting his backpack down. “Do you need me to do anything while I’m waiting?”

“This isn’t overtime,” Hyunwoo jokes, as he carries a stack of chairs to the side.

Hoseok shakes his head. “I think we’ve got it. You can keep Hyungwon company, make sure he doesn’t actually fall asleep because he’s going to be a pain to wake up.” As Hoseok walks away to do the final check, he laughs inside his head because Hyungwon is already half asleep and there’s nothing Changkyun can do about it.

“Alright, looks good,” Hyunwoo confirms, turning off the kitchen lights and hanging the keys on his belt. “You guys go on ahead. I need to grab the bank books from the office. Kihyun and I are going to go to the bank tomorrow. I think this is it,” he tells Hoseok.

“You mean?”

“Yeah,” Hyunwoo nods.

Hoseok breaks into a smile. “That’s awesome! I knew it was going to happen soon but I didn’t expect this soon. When are you going to tell the others?”

“Soon. Hopefully.”

“Cool. Alright, I guess I’ll be headed off then.” 

Hyunwoo waves goodbye, turning to open the small closet they use as an office. Hoseok approaches Changkyun and Hyungwon, Changkyun sitting stock still as to not dislodge Hyungwon’s head from his shoulder. It’s an unbearably cute picture and a small seed of jealousy blooms in Hoseok’s heart. Or at least he thinks it is. It feels like jealousy, like envy, like something cold and bitter but it’s not exactly right.

“Hyung, get up,” Changkyun says, gently shaking Hyungwon. The taller moans a little, lifting a hand to lazily rub at his eyes. To Hoseok’s surprise, Hyungwon stands up slowly, before draping himself over Changkyun’s back, wrapping one arm around Changkyun, who only grunts from the sudden additional weight. But Changkyun doesn’t seem bothered, even grabs Hyungwon’s other hand and brings it to the front so that Hyungwon’s arms form a loop around Changkyun’s shoulders and torso like an over-the-shoulder bag.

They walk like that, surprisingly easy, nothing of the clumsiness that he would expect from Changkyun having to lug around a 60kg noodle of a man. That is until Changkyun gets to his backpack that lays innocently on the floor next to the door. He starts to bend down to reach it but he freezes and straightens up, eyebrows furrowing. When he tries again, Hoseok can see why.

The way Hyungwon is wrapped like an octopus around Changkyun’s back, when Changkyun bends down, he backs into Hyungwon’s crotch and Hyungwon’s arms around him loosen, causing Hyungwon to slide forward and throw the two off balance. Hoseok mentally groans because he would do anything to be able to hold Changkyun like that and here Hyungwon is doing it while being more than half-asleep. Changkyun turns to Hoseok with pleading eyes. “Hyung, my bag please?”

Hoseok rolls his eyes but picks it up anyways, patting Hyungwon on the butt as he walks past. It looks like Hyungwon isn’t really in any condition to drive tonight, still recovering from a small cold earlier in the week. He opens the backdoor seat and Changkyun essentially throws a floppy Hyungwon into the back where he curls up in a ball. Hoseok sees Changkyun start to climb in before he stops him, grabbing him by the shoulder.

“Hey, why don’t you sit in the front today? Hyungwon can handle it by himself in the back.”

“Sure,” Changkyun shrugs. Ever the gentleman, Hoseok opens the door for Changkyun before going to his side to start the car. “Thanks for driving me home,” Changkyun says. “I was just going to walk home but this is nicer,” he confesses before sinking into his chair.

A sudden bolt of anxiety strikes Hoseok’s heart when he imagines Changkyun walking back to his dorm alone at night. It’s a short drive, no more than five minutes, but walking would take at least ten to twenty minutes. Changkyun’s not a kid, he reminds himself, but when he looks over and sees Changkyun staring out the window like a child, he can’t help but think that Changkyun is far too innocent for his age.

“Hey,” he says, drawing Changkyun’s attention back to himself, “whenever you’re working late, why don’t we just take you home?”

Changkyun tilts his head in confusion and Hoseok internally coos at the sight. “Why the sudden offer?”

Hoseok shrugs, trying to seem nonchalant. “It’s easier for you and you’re good company.”

“Alright, hyung. Thanks.” And that’s the end of that conversation. Hoseok hides a sigh of relief as a breathy laugh.

“No problem,” Hoseok says, “just doing my part to help out all the poor children in the world.” Hoseok’s driving so he can’t turn and look at what Changkyun is doing but he’s pretty sure he sees Changkyun roll his eyes and groan.

He’s probably pouting, Hoseok thinks with a fond smile. “I’m not a kid, hyung,” Changkyun says seriously. “I can drink, I have my license, and I live by myself,” he ticks off. “The only reason I don’t have a car is because I don’t want to pay for parking. University parking is a bitch.”

“Mmhmm,” Hoseok hums. He doesn’t see any cars on the road so he reaches over and ruffles Changkyun’s hair, grinning in delight as Changkyun whines in indignation just like a kid.

“Hey, don’t forget to turn here,” Changkyun says and Hoseok almost misses the turn, too caught up in thinking about how cute Changkyun is. He brakes hard and throws his arm to the side on instinct to keep Changkyun from flying too far forward even though his seatbelt is on.

Carefully, he turns and then complains, “next time warn me earlier.” He pulls up on the driveway and notices that Changkyun is rubbing at his chest.

“Did I hurt you?”

Changkyun shakes his head. “It’s okay,” he smiles, “you’re just a lot more muscular than you realize you are.” It’s dark so Hoseok can only see the faint glow of Changkyun’s phone illuminate his face as he rummages for his backpack that got tossed out of his lap when Hoseok suddenly braked.

“Nah, you’re just scrawny,” he teases. “Maybe you can go with me to the gym next time. We’ll make it a date.” He means to say it sarcastically but it comes out more hopeful than sarcastic.

Changkyun only laughs at that, snorting in disbelief. “Yeah, sure,” he says, and Hoseok can tell that’s sarcastic but another part of him thinks  _ he didn’t say no _ . He holds that part down, doesn’t let it grow, because in the rearview mirror, he can see Hyungwon sleeping in the back. Sure, they had that one dance in the club and that has starred in all of Hoseok’s erotic dreams since then, but Hoseok would never dare dream of hurting Hyungwon by cheating.

Hoseok drives home in silence, only the occasional sounds that Hyungwon makes in his sleep disrupting his thinking. Tomorrow, he thinks. 

 

\-- --

 

If there’s one thing Hoseok is bad at, it’s lying. It just adds to his qualifications for sainthood but it also makes Hoseok a terrible poker player. And liar. But whatever. Hyungwon digresses.

“All in,” Hoseok says, and his voice wobbles a bit. Hyungwon raises an eyebrow, watching as Hoseok nervously sweats.

“Call,” and he tosses in half his chips. Hoseok groans and Hyungwon smiles smugly as they flip their cards and Hyungwon’s pair of jacks beats Hoseok’s pair of twos.

Hoseok pouts, upset. “How did you call my bluff?” he wails out as Hyungwon stands to leave Hoseok to clean the cards and poker chips.

“You’re easy to read,” Hyungwon says, shrugging. “It’s like reading an open book.” Behind him, Hoseok stops shuffling a bit and Hyungwon nods slightly to himself. Hoseok had been acting weird the past couple of weeks, ever since they started taking Changkyun home for work. For a brief moment, Hyungwon had wondered if Hoseok was cheating on him but quickly discarded that thought of his mind. Hoseok’s type of weird wasn’t evading questions and coming home late, it was becoming overbearingly affectionate, almost up to the point of following Hyungwon to the bathroom, that Hyungwon wondered if Hoseok had done something wrong. “You know you can tell me anything, right, hyung?”

There’s a sigh and Hyungwon isn’t looking at Hoseok, but he can hear the slight grumbling as Hoseok cleans. “I’ll tell you later,” he promises, “but why did we bet on who gets to call Changkyun?”

“I don’t know about you but I was betting on not doing the dishes. And also because I miss my favorite dongsaeng,” Hyungwon complains, “and so do you.”

“Jooheon’s going to be so hurt when he hears that,” Hoseok deadpans. “The betrayal.”

Hyungwon scoffs. “Minhyuk’s corrupted Jooheon already. We have to hurry before he gets to Changkyun.”

“It’s too late,” Hoseok says, “I’m pretty sure Changkyun was the one to ‘accidentally’ dye all the spare white shirts pink.” He doesn’t seem really bothered by it so Hyungwon assumes Hoseok isn’t actually upset. “The customers ended up liking it a lot so we’re adding pink to the official colors.”

“What? We don’t even have official colors.” Hyungwon shakes his head. “You know what? Never mind. I’m going to call Changkyun now.” Hoseok hums in acknowledgment and Hyungwon swipes his phone to his recent contacts. Truth is, he called Changkyun earlier today, but Hoseok doesn’t need to know that. Hoseok gets more unbearably affectionate towards him every time Changkyun is brought up and Hyungwon’s not sure why.

Hyungwon decides to FaceTime. The phone rings, once, twice, thrice, but no one picks up. Hyungwon frowns. Is Changkyun ignoring him? If he remembers correctly, during Hyungwon’s last call to him, Changkyun had said that he would be free after dinner. Hyungwon notes that it is a little late but his call should have been answered.

He tries again and this time Changkyun picks up but the screen is black. “Yah, Changkyun,” he complains, “what are you doing?”

“Sorry, hyung,” Changkyun apologizes, “but I’m protecting my privacy.”

Hyungwon snorts. “What do you mean-” before he’s cut off by the sound of something, probably clothes by the quiet  _ whoosh _ sound, falling to the ground. “Changkyun?” he says with a strangled voice. He hears a bump and soft cursing.

“Ah, hyung, just wait a moment,” Changkyun says and his voice sounds far away. There’s more rustling and then suddenly the black screen shakes and Hyungwon gets a glimpse of smooth legs and a pale torso as Changkyun bends over to pick up his fallen phone, in only a pair of sleeping shorts.

Hyungwon covers his eyes, scandalized. “Yah, you could have just told me you were changing, Changkyun?” 

There’s some more rustling before Hyungwon hears a breathy chuckle and “you can uncover your pure innocent eyes now, hyung.” When Hyungwon looks up, Changkyun’s rolling his eyes but there’s a soft fond smile on his face.

“Look who’s talking,” he scoffs and Changkyun only smiles winningly. “How’s Gwangju?”

“It’s good,” Changkyun shrugs. “Nice to see family again, eat some home-cooked food. You know, the usual.”

“When are you getting back? Hoseok-hyung misses you,” Hyungwon asks, ignoring Hoseok’s indignant squawk of protest.

“Sure,  _ Hoseok-hyung _ is the one that misses me. And summer session starts next week so probably a little before then,” Changkyun shrugs.

Hyungwon nods and turns to Hoseok still scrubbing away at the dishes. “Are you staying at the dorms again?”

Changkyun shakes his head and shifts. The camera tilts and Hyungwon gets a screen full of Changkyun’s gray hoodie before it corrects itself and Changkyun’s face is back in frame. “I’m staying with some university friends. It’s going to be a pain, though,” he groans.

“Why?”

“They live pretty far from the university and I have morning classes so I’m going to have to wake up super early to take the subway. And don’t even mention getting to work and back. But hey, they’re letting me stay for free. I’ll deal,” he shrugs, not looking off-put by the massive increase in travel time that he’s just added to his schedule.

“That sucks,” Hyungwon sympathizes. He remembers summer session classes and shudders at the memory of the time he once inhaled coffee like an addict. “Hey,” he says, an idea forming in his head, “why don’t you just stay with us?”

Before Changkyun can respond, Hoseok plops on the couch next to him, a wet hand drying itself on Hyungwon’s pant leg. “Who can stay with who?”

“Hyung,” Hyungwon says, “Changkyunnie was just telling me that he wasn’t going to live at the university dorms over the summer.”   


“You’re not?” Hoseok asks curiously, peering into the screen where Changkyun’s face appears.

Changkyun groans. “It’s fine, hyungs. It’s really not that far away.”

“Where is it?” Hyungwon asks impatiently, tapping his fingers against his legs.

Changkyun tilts his head a little as he thinks, eyes focused somewhere off in the distance. “Mm, Ilsan?”

“Ilsan?” both Hoseok and Hyungwon exclaim.

“Yeah, why?” Changkyun asks, not perturbed by the random explosion. Hyungwon wants to facepalm but one hand is holding the phone and the other is wrapped around Hoseok’s shoulders. He settles for an eye roll and a bored sigh because  _ of course this kid doesn’t get it _ . “What?” Changkyun says, a little more defensive from the reactions he’s been given.

“Ilsan’s like an hour away from Seoul by subway, Changkyun,” Hyungwon patiently explains. Hoseok nods fervently next to him.

“I mean, it’s not  _ that _ bad,” Changkyun mumbles, looking downcast.

“Hey, we’re offering you to stay with us,” Hyungwon reminds but Hoseok freezes. “Hyung?”

Changkyun looks uncomfortable. “ _ You _ offered but I don’t think Hoseok-hyung is okay with the idea. It’s fine, hyungs. I can handle it. I’m not a kid.”

Hoseok snaps out of it and vehemently denies, “No, no, no. I’m totally okay with it. Hyungwon’s right, you should just stay with us.”

“Are you sure?” There’s a look of doubt that crosses Changkyun’s face and Hyungwon wonders what they have done that makes Changkyun think doing an almost two-hour round trip every day on the subway, where he has to wake up early in the morning and come back late at night, is better than living with them. “Do I have to worry about being sexiled?”

Hoseok breaks into a laugh but Hyungwon splutters in indignation. “Changkyun!” he gasps, scandalized.

“Right, I forgot. Hyungwonnie-hyung is pure and innocent.” Hoseok snorts and the two both break into raucous laughter. Hyungwon attempts to keep up his face of judgment but it breaks too easily and he laughs with them. There’s a sound of sheets rustling as Changkyun adjusts his position again.

“Hey, it’s late,” Hoseok says, tugging at Hyungwon’s sleeve. Hyungwon hums and turns back to the phone where Changkyun grants him a sleepy smile.

“I’ll call you later,” Hyungwon says into the phone but Changkyun doesn’t seem to hear him because he doesn’t say anything, just stares blankly into the camera. “I’ll call you later,” he repeats and this time Changkyun hums his acknowledgment, smiles back and waves goodbye before the screen goes dark and the call ends.

The moment he sets down his phone, Hoseok pulls Hyungwon down to lay in his lap and lets his fingers play with Hyungwon’s hair. He leans over and pecks Hyungwon on the lips and Hyungwon reciprocates, fondness spreading throughout his chest. “Hey,” Hoseok whispers, corners of his lips turned up in a soft smile.

“Hey yourself,” Hyungwon retorts, but allows Hoseok to playfully rub their noses together. “Let me up,” he says and Hoseok removes his hand from Hyungwon’s hair and waits as Hyungwon swings his legs back down so that they’re sitting side by side. He leaves his hand in between them so that Hoseok can reach out and interlace their fingers together.

Hoseok doesn’t say anything but the way he rubs his thumb over Hyungwon’s hand tells Hyungwon that he wants to. Hyungwon doesn’t say anything, knows that Hoseok always pushes himself to be kind and good, knows that Hoseok will eventually muster the courage needed to do whatever is asked of him.

“I love you,” is what Hoseok starts with and that makes Hyungwon tense. It sounds a lot like the beginning of a  _ it’s not you, it’s me _ talk and that is something Hyungwon is hoping they never come to. “But I think I have feelings for Changkyun.”

“What?” It bursts out of Hyungwon’s mouth uninvited but Hyungwon can’t be blamed, the news is shocking enough for all sorts of outbursts, his fairly tame for what could have been said.

Hoseok shrinks in on himself and it’s a sight to see such a built man like Hoseok attempt to make himself small. Something twinges in Hyungwon’s heart, seeing someone normally so confident and sure look so scared and timid. “I’m sorry,” Hoseok apologizes and Hyungwon finds that he doesn’t really want his apology like some sort of admission of guilt.

“You’re cheating on me?” And it feels wrong in Hyungwon’s mouth, feels sour and cruel because it makes no sense. How could Hoseok and Changkyun do this to him?

“No!” Hoseok yells, obviously hurt at the accusation. “I would never. You know I would never.”

They sit in silence as Hyungwon tries to process his thoughts and emotions on the topic. To his surprise, he doesn’t feel lingering resentment for Hoseok or any disdain towards Changkyun. It’s a neutral feeling, one that more peaks his curiosity than stabs him in the heart and back.

“When did you realize you liked Changkyun?  _ How _ did you realize that?”

“I don’t know,” Hoseok admits. “There was always an attraction from the moment I saw him that first day when he broke the vase. But I thought it was just that. Attraction, maybe veering into lust, after that dance at the club.”

Hyungwon hums. He understands that. Changkyun may not see it in himself but there’s something about the younger that draws your attention in, and while he may not be conventionally handsome the way Minhyuk is, or particularly fit like Hyunwoo, he’s attractive in his own way. Hyungwon isn’t going to fault Hoseok for something Hyungwon, himself, feels too.

“I don’t know what happened after that.” Hoseok looks down like he’s trying to decipher the answers in the holes of his jeans. “It’s like all of a sudden I realized how much I wanted him to be happy and safe, how much I wanted to cuddle and kiss him. But how those feelings weren’t just parental.”

“What changed?” Hyungwon prompts, slowly coming to an understanding. He wraps his mind around the idea and it makes sense what the bitter taste of Hoseok’s confession is. Why he feels only neutral when it’s dictated that he should feel despair and grief. Why he understands exactly how Hoseok feels.

Hoseok shakes his head. “Nothing. I think it’s always been there.”

“What has?”

“Love.”

 

\-- --

 

While unexpected, it is not surprising how Hyungwon handles Hoseok’s confession. Even though he has his random outbursts, Hyungwon prefers to handle things quietly. He can get emotional but never as quickly or to the extent that Hoseok does and Hoseok is grateful.

It’s weird admitting it out loud, that those feelings Hoseok has for Changkyun might be love. The romantic kind. It still doesn’t make a lot of sense, how he’s grown to love Changkyun the way he has, but if Hoseok knows anything, it’s that the heart does what it wants and you just have to follow it. He’s an expert in that.

But the truth is, Hoseok’s only ever loved a few people in his life like that. His first girlfriend, his first boyfriend, and Hyungwon. For the longest time, he didn’t even know he loved Hyungwon. And right now, those feelings that brew so easily for Changkyun feel exactly like those that Hoseok has for Hyungwon.

Hoseok doesn’t normally think much about it, all his friends are attractive in their own special way. Attraction to Hyungwon is a given. He loves all of his friends, has never had to think twice about that.

With Hyungwon and Changkyun though, it’s different. He doesn’t imagine kissing Hyunwoo or Jooheon and he doesn’t get turned on by Kihyun’s erotic sounds when he’s doing something difficult. Even his touchiness with Minhyuk, no matter how intimate, doesn’t send thoughts of  _ I would marry you if I could _ like Changkyun’s soft whines or Hyungwon’s never ending laughs.

As he waits patiently for Hyungwon to formulate his reply, he already knows what he will do. The answer is obvious. Hoseok may follow his heart more than his brain sometimes but he’s not stupid. Because the truth of the matter is that as much as he loves Changkyun, or as much as he can admit to loving the shorter, he and Hyungwon have history, have survived trials and tribulations to make it where they are without even being in a relationship. And now that they have one, now that Hyungwon  _ and _ Hoseok are an official thing, there’s no way he’s going to mess that up. There’s no way Hoseok can let go of Hyungwon.

“I think I like Changkyun, too,” Hyungwon says.

“No, no, of course I don’t want to break up, I love you way too much- wait, what?”

Hyungwon looks amused but Hoseok can’t think much of anything besides the heartbeat thrumming in his ears. Hyungwon repeats, “I think I like Changkyun, too.”

Suddenly Hoseok feels angry, like something bitter is crawling inside his throat. “Don’t tease me,” he warns lowly, already feeling the heat build up behind his eyes.

There’s a hum and then Hyungwon’s hand casually grabs Hoseok’s thigh, a comforting gesture that says  _ it’s okay, i’m here _ . Hoseok turns and Hyungwon meets his eyes. “If you like Changkyun, it’s okay. Because I think I like him too.”

“What does that mean then?” Hoseok asks, rubbing at his eyes and sniffling a little.

“A threesome,” Hyungwon deadpans and immediately all of Hoseok’s tears dry up.

“Yah, be serious here,” he complains but he’s unable to hold on to an angry expression, laughter cracking through. They hold contact for a moment before they’re both rolling over in laughter, this time Hoseok wiping tears of mirth rather than sadness. He looks fondly over to Hyungwon and he wonders how he managed to find someone that matches so perfectly with him.

There wasn’t a single thing Hoseok hadn’t cursed when he realized his feelings for Changkyun. He yelled at his heart for betraying him but Changkyun’s warm smiles only healed the self-abuse and Hoseok had been done for. But now, he looks at amazement to the man next to him and to the possibilities that lie before them now as Hoseok  _ and _ Hyungwon.

“I mean, it’s an option,” Hyungwon defends. “We don’t even know if Changkyun likes both of us like that.”  
Hoseok’s mood immediately falls because Hyungwon is right. There’s too many variables in the equation with varying levels of  _ okay _ that Hoseok is not very comfortable with.

Option 1: Changkyun could like neither of them, see them only as friends, as family, as older brothers or adopted parents. That’s fine. They confess, it gets awkward, Changkyun runs away and never looks back, they move on with the lives knowing there’s a vacant void that remains unfilled.

Option 1.5: Changkyun doesn’t like either of them but it’s okay. Changkyun is a great guy and he tries his best to not make it awkward. This will only make Hoseok fall in love with him more and break his heart in the long run. Either way, Changkyun not liking any of them will hurt both Hoseok and Hyungwon but at least they’ll still have each other.

Option 2: Hoseok likes this one the best. Changkyun likes both of them and they agree to try it out. Polyamory is fine, it works out great, and they all grow old together where they then face the bitter truth of death until Hoseok remains alone tending the flower patch they grew in their middle age and two grave stones. He’ll forever regret not making Changkyun and Hyungwon work out when he could.

Wow, when did Hoseok become such a pessimist? He blames Hyungwon.

Option 2.5: Changkyun likes them both but not enough to make a polyamory relationship last. Something happens, they have a falling out, and they lose all contact with each other. Hoseok spends the rest of his adult life mourning, where he becomes a crazy cat lady but with dogs.

Option 3: There’s no way to avoid broken hearts in this scenario. Changkyun only likes one of them. If it’s Hoseok, he’ll have to break Changkyun’s heart because he can’t bear to leave Hyungwon all on his own. If it’s Hyungwon, he’ll let both of them go so that they can be together because he’d rather break his own heart than any of theirs. He really doesn’t like this option.

Of course there’s always Option 0, he tells Hyungwon. Option 0 is do nothing and hope for the best. Hyungwon looks at him with an unreadable expression, but Hoseok thinks that Hyungwon is also seriously considering it. At the point where they are, only a few months into a new relationship and having only known Changkyun for less than half a year, it’s best not to stir the waters just yet.

“Hey,” Hoseok says, leaning in, “thank you for being so understanding.”

“It’s no problem,” murmurs Hyungwon, moving forward so that his head rests against Hoseok’s and they’re staring at each other.

“I’m so lucky,” he whispers, watching as Hyungwon shudders at their proximity, “who else has a kind and smart and sexy boyfriend who knows exactly what I need.” He leans in and leaves butterfly kisses all over Hyungwon’s face before leaving a deep kiss on Hyungwon’s lips and smiles as Hyungwon chases after him as he pulls back. “Hey, should we take this to the bed?”

Hyungwon snorts, pulling back a little and opening his eyes. “That’s your kink? Kindness and positivity?”

“Among others,” Hoseok easily replies, a cheesy smile on his lips. He grabs Hyungwon’s hand and pulls him up, dragging him to their little room. He sits on the edge of his bed and Hyungwon smiles fondly before stepping in closer so that he’s standing in between Hoseok’s knees.

Hyungwon holds Hoseok’s head lightly in his heads, bending down as Hoseok tilts his head back, and their lips meet in a deep kiss. Hoseok wraps his arms around Hyungwon’s waist and falls back, pulling the taller with him so that they’re on a more even level, Hyungwon lying on top of him with his elbows holding up most of his weight as they kiss, tongues chasing after each other in a never ending meeting.

There’s a moan and Hoseok doesn’t know if it’s his or Hyungwon’s because his head is spinning from the lack of air. Hyungwon pulls back and a thin trail of saliva link them together before it breaks and plops down on Hoseok’s shirt. Hoseok wrinkles his nose but Hyungwon only smiles. “Mm, let’s get that shirt off of you then,” and thin, long fingers trail under his shirt and up his ribs and Hoseok’s breath hitches.

Before Hoseok knows it, his shirt is off and the button on his jeans is being undone. He tosses his head back and moans as Hyungwon runs light fingers across his abdomen and uses one to circle his nipple before pinching it and rolling it between his fingers. Hyungwon smiles indulgently, sitting up so that he rests just above Hoseok’s crotch, slightly higher than where his dick twitches in his underwear and undone jeans. Hoseok groans, wrapping his hands around Hyungwon’s hips as Hyungwon bends down to leave kisses down his neck. He bites and Hoseok cries out, tightening his grip and causing Hyungwon to moan. Hyungwon pinches Hoseok’s nipples harder in retaliation and Hoseok yelps.

He huffs, tightening his grip on Hyungwon’s hips, and flips Hyungwon over and down into the bed so that their positions are switched. Hyungwon’s eyes widen and Hoseok looks down with a victorious smile. Hyungwon’s lips are swollen from kissing, slightly parted from breathing heavily, and the daze still lingers in his eyes. It’s an erotic picture and Hyungwon hasn’t removed a single piece of clothing.

To correct that, he slowly unbuttons Hyungwon’s shirt even though he wants to rip it off of him. He doesn’t because Hyungwon will get mad and because it’s a special tailored shirt to suit Hyungwon’s skinny but lengthy frame. But as he pulls the buttons out of the holes, he leaves kisses on the skin that becomes exposed with each undone button. There’s a light flush that spreads down Hyungwon’s chest and Hoseok grins in delight as Hoseok sucks a bruise into a particularly sensitive spot on the side of his ribs.

Letting out a broken moan, Hyungwon grabs Hoseok’s ass and squeezes, causing the man to jump. His hands fall away and he whines, waiting for Hoseok to do something. Hoseok smiles slyly, leaning back until his weight settles on Hyungwon’s dick and Hyungwon groans as he grinds down. “Hyung, please,” he moans out.

Hyungwon is hard, almost desperately so by the way he whines when Hoseok grinds a little harder down. It feels good but seeing Hyungwon fall apart is on another level. The clock by their bedside says a time far too late at night for them to be up.

“Hey, sit up,” he tells Hyungwon, moving so that he’s resting on the bed in the space between Hyungwon’s legs, his own legs thrown over the younger’s hips so that their crotches align. With deft fingers, he undoes Hyungwon’s pants and reaches down to pull his dick out of his underwear.

“Hyung, what,” Hyungwon says before he moans at the sensation. Hoseok smirks, moving his hand up and down and tightening his grip as he does. Hyungwon responds to the stimulation with broken gasps. “Hyung, hyung,” he chants, “I need to come.”

“Hold on, Hyungwonnie,” Hoseok says cheerfully, enjoying the pitiful whine that Hyungwon lets out as his head drops, trying to handle the pleasure. “I know how to make this better.” He let’s go and Hyungwon whines but the sounds quickly change when Hoseok frees his own dick and wraps his hand around both of theirs together. He gasps at the sensation as he pumps his hand, the tight feeling and the rubbing against Hyungwon’s.

Their dicks are slick with pre-come and it only takes a few more even strokes before they’re both spilling over in Hoseok’s hand. Hyungwon flops back down on the bed exhausted while Hoseok looks at him fondly and chuckles.

“You need to clean up,” he teases, holding his other hand under his cum-filled hand to make sure nothing drips as he walks to the sink to rinse it away. “Come on, up up.”

Hyungwon groans and rolls over, everything already neatly tucked away. “I’m coming,” he whines.

“That’s what he said,” Hoseok replies cheekily and Hyungwon groans.

“I’m breaking up with you,” he says in a monotone before pushing himself off the bed to join Hoseok in the bathroom.

Hoseok mimes a heart attack, clutching as his chest. “Oh, the pain. Go on, leave me here.” He grabs onto Hyungwon’s shoulders only to be shoved off with an eyeroll.

“I wonder if Changkyun is this annoying after sex,” Hyungwon mutters, turning away from Hoseok to brush his teeth.

Hoseok pauses, toothpaste in hand halfway out of the tube. “I guess we’ll just have to find out,” he says weakly, the joke a little tasteless in his mouth.

Hyungwon hums around his toothbrush. He spits it out and rinses. “I guess we will.” He continues talking as Hoseok leans over the sink to brush his teeth. “I wonder if Changkyun has any kinks that we don’t know about.”

Hoseok chokes around his toothpaste and he coughs as he spits it out. He glares at Hyungwon who’s laughing at his red face. “Why would you say that?” he exclaims but now that question’s been asked and he wants to know the answer.

Hyungwon’s smile turns sly and Hoseok has a sinking feeling in his gut. “I bet he would really be into biting.” Hoseok gulps as Hyungwon fingers the bruise he left on Hoseok’s neck. “He’d probably be all whiny but he would be so cute with hickeys all over his neck, wouldn’t he?”

“Isn’t this a little inappropriate,” Hoseok pants out. It can’t be said that he hasn’t thought of it. He’s watched Changkyun bite Hyunwoo with abandon and he’s seen how sensitive the younger can be when touched. His mouth goes dry at the images that invade his head. Next to him, Hyungwon laughs and he turns, betrayed. “How could you. I thought you were supposed to be pure and innocent.”

“You know you were imagining it,” Hyungwon says cheekily, with a snort. “Are you getting worked up again?” he adds with a smile, trailing a finger down Hoseok’s bare chest.

Hoseok looks at him and then to the shower. “It’s late, we should go to sleep,” he warns but he’s already being pulled into Hyungwon’s orbit. 

Needless to say, they show up the next day at  _ Monbebe Ramen _ an hour late because they slept through their alarms.

\-- --

Hyungwon should have probably thought this through more but his brain to mouth filter malfunctions when he’s with Changkyun. So now, there’s a hopeful Changkyun back from Gwangju, a slight flush across his skin, looking up to him with complete and total gratitude in his eyes as he sits in their living room. Hoseok sits next to him and they stare at each other in silence.

“Hyungs?” Changkyun asks and their attention snaps to him. His hair has grown a little longer since they last saw him and it hangs in soft bangs over his forehead, wispy curls giving an air of complete and total innocence.

“Ah, sorry, Changkyun,” Hyungwon apologizes. “We didn’t plan this really well.” Changkyun’s face falls and Hyungwon rushes to fix his mistakes. “You can still stay here. We just need to figure out some living arrangements.”

“Yeah, like where you’re going to sleep and how you’re going to get to school and work and all that,” Hoseok chimes in.

Changkyun twiddles his thumbs a little before he speaks. “Unless one of you wants to offer up his bed, I can sleep on the couch. I don’t mind,” he offers. “And I checked and there’s a bus stop that goes to the university close by. And since you normally drop me off after work, you could just take me home with you?”

Hyungwon mentally groans. Does this kid not know how that sounds?

Beside him, Hoseok shakes his head. “No, no,” he says, “we don’t use both beds anyways. You can take one.”

“Wow, thanks, hyung!” Changkyun smiles brightly before his face turns cautious. “They’re all… clean, right?”

Hoseok’s face of mock outrage makes both Changkyun and Hyungwon laugh. “Yeah, don’t worry. We wash the sheets after we’re done,” he says through his laughter with a wink. Changkyun looks horrified at his statement before he breaks into chuckles again.

“TMI, hyung. TMI.”

“Just pick one of the beds as your own. Hyungwon and I normally share a bed,” Hoseok says, waving his hand towards the bedroom. “How long are you staying here for?”

“Hopefully to the end of the summer session?” Changkyun says, looking up. “But I can always leave before then if you want me to.”

“No, no, that’s fine,” Hoseok replies. “Just we need to make you a key then since you’re probably on a different schedule than me and Hyungwon.” Changkyun looks relieved and Hyungwon smiles lightly at the sight.

Dressed in shorts that barely reach his knee and a long hoodie that covers his hands, Changkyun looks adorable sitting in their living room, like he belongs there amongst the cheap furniture that they lovingly fought over. “Let me show you around,” he says, standing up and walking to Changkyun to hold out his hand. Changkyun grabs it and he pulls the younger up and takes him to their bedroom, still holding hands. It’s a nice sensation, Changkyun’s hand petite and smooth, fitting neatly into Hyungwon’s own long and gangly fingers.

Their bedroom isn’t much, two full size beds that the landlady had given to them in pity back in their  _ just friends _ days. They’re more or less decorated the same, flowery comforters and a few stuffed animals.

“So one of these will be yours. Pick any one that you like.”

Changkyun chooses Hyungwon’s bed and it makes Hyungwon’s heart flutter more than it should. He spreads himself out on it and he looks like a vision, one that Hyungwon is slowly realizing he’ll be able to wake up to everyday for the next few months. He gulps and turns away, not wanting to get too caught up in fantasizing. 

His eyes meet Hoseok’s behind him and Hoseok tilts his head a little with pointed eyes. With quick strides, Hyungwon falls on the bed on top of Changkyun and the younger yelps. “Hyung, why?” he moans, struggling to hold Hyungwon’s weight off of him. Hyungwon’s body completely covers Changkyun’s, his head just barely sticking out from Hyungwon’s skinny frame.

Hoseok grins and throws himself over Hyungwon who feels his arms give out under the weight and Hyungwon gets pressed into the bed and Changkyun groans, trapped under the two bodies. He twists as hard as he can and both Hyungwon and Hoseok roll off and onto the floor. Changkyun gets up and looks down angrily, his hair a mess and cheeks flushed from the struggle.

“Changkyun, save me,” Hyungwon groans.

“Serves you right,” he says and throws his pillow on top of where Hoseok is laying on top of Hyungwon. Hyungwon groans and buries his head into the carpeted floor but looks up when Changkyun starts laughing. It’s a hiccupy sort of laugh as he bends over and clutches his stomach, rolling around on the bed. Hoseok bends down a little and presses a smile into Hyungwon’s neck and Hyungwon can feel his own smile breaking out across his face.

It’s going to be fine, he thinks.

It’s going to be fine, he repeats in his head, trying not to stare as Changkyun steps out of the bathroom in nothing but a too large T-shirt that hangs loosely around his neck and barely clings onto his shoulders. His mouth goes dry when Changkyun yawns and stretches, the shirt bottom rising from where it rests mid-thigh to reveal more and more pale skin until oh, boxer shorts, with a cute pattern of wolves on them. When he lowers his arms, the shirt bottom stays pooled around his hips and Hyungwon sighs in relief, the image now more cute than erotic. Changkyun rubs wearily at his eyes and Hyungwon clutches the bed sheets to keep from cooing.

A heavy hand comes down and ruffles Changkyun’s hair causing Changkyun to whine in protest. It’s a lovely sight, Hoseok’s muscular body next to Changkyun’s slight frame, pale hands standing out against dark hair. “Hyung,” Changkyun pouts, but he stays still to let Hoseok do whatever he wants. Oh god, Hyungwon is going to have a heart attack from all the cute.

“Maybe we should do a pajama day at the restaurant,” Hoseok says. “You look cute enough to eat, Changkyunnie.”

The shorter pushes Hoseok off of him but Hoseok only smiles with glee. Hyungwon can’t see well, contacts taken off for the night and glasses resting on the bedside table, but he’s sure there’s a distinct redness that tip Changkyun’s ears.

“The customers would love it,” Hyungwon says absentmindedly. “Don’t you just want to bite him, Hoseok-hyung?”

Changkyun looks appalled. “Hyung, what the fuck.”

“What? You’re cute.” Hyungwon shrugs, nonchalantly.

“I’m not cute, hyung,” Changkyun stresses as he makes his way to his bed. He climbs in, pulling one of the stuffed animals that Hyungwon keeps into his arms, and hugging it tightly. “I don’t know why you keep saying that.”

Hyungwon almost facepalms. How does this kid not know he’s the most adorable thing to exist next to Hyungwon’s ex-girlfriend’s baby cousin? (Gosh, he misses Siwoo.)

“You’re the cutest,” Hoseok slurs behind him, already halfway to sleep. Hyungwon runs careful fingers through Hoseok’s violet hair, the black roots starting to show. Hoseok sighs, nustling his head against Hyungwon’s hands. 

“Good night, hyungs,” Changkyun says, reaching over to turn the lamp off.

“Good night, Changkyun,” they reply in unison and the room goes dark.

\-- --

Hyunwoo looks distraught when Hoseok lets himself into the office. “Hey, what’s going on?” Hoseok asks, alert, worry creeping as he looks at Hyunwoo’s downcast expression.

“Management called,” he manages to say but leaves it at that.

Hoseok furrows his brows. “Aren’t you the manager?”

“No, like  _ management _ ,” Hyunwoo stresses, running hands through his hair. On closer inspection, Hyunwoo has eyebags so dark they make Hyunwoo’s normally tan and bouncy skin look sallow and pale. “We’re in trouble.”

“What do you mean? We’re doing fine. Our sales are the highest they’ve ever been. Maybe not as good as they could be,” Hoseok admits, “but we’re not doing terribly.”

Hyunwoo groans, scrubbing at his eyes. “I don’t know, Hoseok-ah,” Hyunwoo says, exhaustion lacing his voice. “I don’t know what’s going on. They just said they don’t think we’re succeeding enough and that they were planning to bring in one of the newer, more popular places here.”

“You mean, they’re kicking us out? They can’t do that!” Hoseok seethes in anger. “We’ve paid off our debt and we’re finally making a profit and they want us to start all over again? They’ve gotta be kidding.”

“I tried reasoning with them but they kept showing me stats for  _ 17 Carat Chicken _ ,  _ Buddy BBQ Chicken _ ,  _ Once Candyshop _ , and even  _ Baby Bird Drink Stop _ . I get we’re not doing as well as them but they sell completely different things than we do. We sell ramen, Hoseok. It’s not going to be as popular as chicken, and we knew it. But forcing us to relocate is only going to set us back even more.”

“We’re their most successful restaurant,” Hoseok explodes “ever since  _ Star1 Cafe _ managed to go independent. They need us,” he says petulantly. “Who do they want to take our place?”

“ _ Ponyo’s Pot _ ,” Hyunwoo says. “Originally a popular food truck hoping to settle down as a restaurant. They just missed out on the  _ Wannable Plaza _ bid but they’ve gotten a lot of attention recently.”

“Couldn’t they just offer them a different place? Why does it have to be here?”

“It’s faster moving into an already established place rather than a new location that needs renovation,” Hyunwoo says wearily, “or at least that’s what they told me.”

“And we’re not going to do anything about it? This could take us out for a year if we have to move locations. We’d have to start from scratch and rebuild the customer base and oh god, we’ll be in debt again to pay for all the renovations.”

Hyunwoo sighs. “You don’t think I tried?” His voice is level but anger brews beneath it and Hoseok feels Hyunwoo’s pain, his sorrow for not being able to do enough. “Unless we prove that moving us would be a loss to the company, we’re stuck. I’ve been digging through the records but this is bigger than me, bigger than anything I can do by myself. I need help but we can’t really afford to spend anymore money.”

Hoseok looks at Hyunwoo solemnly. “You’ve got us.”

Hyunwoo looks hesitant but Hoseok knows that Hyunwoo always has faith in the rest of his employees. “That’s true,” he says slowly. “But this is going to be a difficult task. It’ll be hard to increase sales while doing all this research but we need to do both. I hoped to leave increasing sales to you.”

“Trust me,” Hoseok says firmly. “Trust  _ us _ . We’ll get through this. We always do.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for taking so long to update! It's been a full month, wow. I actually have a few chapters of this story already written out but I didn't want to upload anything till I had time to actually finish the story. Thanks for waiting! I really do read your comments even if I don't reply much so please leave lots of comments if you can!


	3. Chapter 3: Changkyun, again

Changkyun isn’t sure if Hoseok and Hyungwon are aware that they are probably the most attractive people on this planet… separately. When they’re together, they are like their own planet with their own gravity and Changkyun is inexplicably drawn in. How is it fair that two people as perfect as Hyungwon and Hoseok are dating each other? Save some for the rest of the world, Changkyun grouches internally.

It’s already been a month since he’s moved in with the couple and Changkyun already dreads the day he has to move back to the school dorms when the fall semester begins. He likes waking up to the sight of Hoseok and Hyungwon cuddled together. He likes not having to walk by himself in the dark after late shifts. He likes having someone to eat meals with and someone to talk to when he feels lonely. And even though he hates to admit it, he likes being babied by the two, enjoying their touchiness and coddling.

He’s loitering in the courtyard, studying a little for his midterms before he walks to  _Monbebe Ramen_ for his shift, when thin arms wrap around him and a small head drops against his shoulder. “Hyungwon-hyung? What are you doing here?”

“Hoseok-hyung went to work early,” Hyungwon groans.

“Again? He’s been going early a lot lately, hasn’t he?”

Hyungwon nods and complains, “I nearly missed the bus to the university but I’m glad I caught you. Let’s go together, Changkyunnie.”

Changkyun checks his watch. It’s almost time for him to leave anyways. “Hold on, hyung,” he says as he bends down to gather his notebooks and put away his laptop in his backpack. He hoists his backpack on his shoulders, groaning at the weight.

“Hey, that looks heavy,” Hyungwon notes. “Do you normally carry this much around? I thought you carried less.”

Changkyun shakes his head. “I have midterms soon so I have a little extra to carry. I normally just bring my laptop.”

“Here, let me carry some of it. It’s a long walk to the shop.”

“It’s fine, hyung. I can do it.”

“You sure?” Hyungwon says, eyes pointed.

Changkyun hesitates. “Alright, thank you, hyung,” he says as he kneels down and opens his bag to hand some notebooks to put in Hyungwon’s own almost empty messenger bag. He’s zipping his bag back up when a hand enters his vision. He looks up and Hyungwon is there, offering his hand with a soft smile. Hyungwon looks like a prince out of the fairy tales from childhood, sparkling in the afternoon sun.

Changkyun grabs his hand and Hyungwon hoists him up but when he expects Hyungwon to let go, the taller simply interlaces their fingers together and smiles. Changkyun’s face feels warm but he quickly pushes the feeling aside. It’s not something new. Hyungwon likes to hold hands, needs something to keep his hands busy, and he’s seemingly taken a liking to Changkyun’s own hands.

Their hands swing in between them as they walk. Light conversation flows between them, comfortable and easy, absent of the need to fill the silence. Changkyun feels one of his shoelaces come undone but the restaurant is just across the street so he ignores it, content to just keep holding Hyungwon’s hand.

But Changkyun underestimates his clumsiness, even though he’s had it for the past 21 years of his life, and he steps on the loose shoelace, causing him to trip forward and into the street. There’s a sharp tug on his arm and he falls back into a warm embrace, just barely missing the large blur that speeds down the street and honks angrily.

The arms surrounding him spin him around and Hyungwon’s worried face meets him. “Changkyun, are you okay?” Hyungwon searches for any injuries and sighs in relief when he sees none. “You need to be more careful,” he scolds.

Changkyun looks down at his untied shoelace and smiles sheepishly. “I’ll try,” he promises as he digs his shoe into the ground. Hyungwon looks down and scoffs lightly, a small but fond smile breaking his mask of annoyance.

“Here,” he says, kneeling down to tie Changkyun’s shoelace for him. He even undoes the other shoelace and reties it tighter so that there are two neat bows on Changkyun’s shoes. Hyungwon looks up when he finishes and beams and Changkyun’s heart thumps uncomfortably loud in his ears. “There,” he nods.

He holds his hand up for help to get up and Changkyun reaches down and pulls him up. Hyungwon squeezes Changkyun’s hand tightly and it takes everything for Changkyun to keep from blushing to the tips of his ears. It’s only been a short ten minute walk and Hyungwon’s already exhibited nearly every quality and romantic cliche that makes him seem more prince-like and attractive than he already is. Changkyun won’t survive if this is going to be a regular occurrence.

This time, they cross the street safely, but before they can open the door to enter  _Monbebe Ramen_ , the door swings open and three men in suits walk out briskly, shoving past Changkyun and Hyungwon with little regard to the two employees. Hoseok comes out through the door, yelling, “Wait!” but the men don’t even bother acknowledging him. He sags a little, defeated, before he looks up and realizes that Changkyun and Hyungwon are there.

“Oh, you guys are here,” he says cheerfully, the kind of happiness that is obviously fake but easy to put on because people you care about are present. Changkyun observes Hoseok’s tense shoulders and the way his hands tighten and loosen as if he’s trying to control his anger.

“Hyung, who were they?” he asks, watching as everything pours out of Hoseok, his shoulders drooping with exhaustion.

“Starship Entrepreneur execs,” Hoseok says wearily.

“Why were they here?”

Hoseok hesitates and turns away from Changkyun to look at Hyunwoo, who appears behind him. Hyunwoo only grimaces, face set to show little expression. “I think it’s best if we tell you guys as a group,” he says. Just as he says that, Jooheon and Minhyuk appear at the door with bags of food in their hands. It’s quiet for a moment as they all stare at each other in varying degrees of confusion. Hyunwoo sighs. “Go put the food away. We’ll discuss during lunch break, okay?” He plasters a fake smile on his face and says, “Hurry up, lunch rush is about to start.”

Changkyun makes it through lunch rush, smiling at the few new customers that drop by and greeting old customers with a playful grin. But he can’t stop thinking of Hoseok’s distraught face, of Hyunwoo’s grimness. It can only mean bad things and he thinks that he might not want to hear them.

Finally, they wave off their last customer from the lunch rush and collapse. Minhyuk goes to help Kihyun warm up the take out they ordered and distantly, Changkyun can hear them arguing about what can go in the microwave and what cannot. He really hopes Minhyuk listens to Kihyun.

Hyunwoo sighs and buries his heads in his hands even as Kihyun and Minhyuk set out food in front of them. Changkyun frowns. Usually Hyunwoo is the first to start eating but today, he looks stressed and unfocused, like there’s too many thoughts running inside his head and trying to compete for his attention. Out of the corner of his eye, he sees Hoseok pick up a pair of chopsticks before looking at Hyunwoo and putting them back down. This only makes Changkyun worry harder because Hoseok should be right up with Hyunwoo in already starting to dig in.

It’s quiet. Jooheon and Minhyuk serve out the takeout the bought from the  _EXO-L_ , a Chinese buffet that’s normally insanely crowded at all times of the day. Jooheon knows one of the staff though so they get discounts. When everyone’s served, only a few start to eat. Hyunwoo and Hoseok look at their food sullenly and Changkyun feels his appetite vanish despite the busy day.

“Hyungs? What’s going on?” he asks, hoping to elicit a response, hoping for something more than just the blank stares at bowls of rice.

“Management wants us to relocate,” Hyunwoo says all at once. Jooheon’s mouth drops as does the chicken in his chopsticks.

“What?” Kihyun says. “They want us to what?”

“Relocate,” is Hyunwoo’s quiet reply. “They think there’s too much competition in this area that we’re not making the profits we should be making.”

“Are we not?” Minhyuk asks. “We’re still paying off our debt, right?”

Hoseok cuts in with a shake of his head. “We finished paying it off a few weeks ago. We were planning on telling you guys but this happened.”

“Relocating can’t be that bad, can it?” Jooheon asks. There’s something in his eyes that Changkyun can’t read, a million calculations flitting through his mind as he figures out everything.

Hoseok shakes his head grimly. “We did the calculations. If we relocated to where they want us to go, it would take us at least a year to renovate and reestablish. We’d-”

“Go in debt again,” Hyungwon finishes with Hoseok. “They can’t do this! We’ve worked so hard to get where we are and they just want to destroy that?” Hyungwon’s voice rises with his indignation and at the end of his sentence, his accent flares.

“Is there nothing we can do?” Changkyun asks.

Hyunwoo sighs. “Hoseok and I have been collecting data the last few weeks to see if we could prove that we’re doing fine but it’s a bit of a mess.”

“We presented what we had to the execs but they said it wasn’t enough proof,” Hoseok says, irritated. “I don’t know what more proof they want!”

“What did you give them?” Kihyun asks.

“Annual sales, monthly reports, anything that we could find related to the restaurant,” Hyunwoo answers, finally reaching for a piece of food to eat.

“Why wasn’t that enough?” Kihyun looks confused. “Our sales are good. We’re out of debt and our profit margins aren’t bad.”

Hoseok responds, voice tight. “They think we’re not doing well enough because of the other stores. They showed us a comprehensive report comparing our yearly sales with the top ten stores in the area. We were at the bottom of the list, of course,” he says with a bitter laugh.

“That’s not fair,” Kihyun protests.

Minhyuk looks thoughtful. “But aren’t we their biggest profit-makers? Don’t they get that they’re going to lose their biggest money-makers if they go through with this?”

Hyunwoo shakes his head. “We tried but we don’t have enough records for their other stores that are up to date. And even then, we have to prove that being in competition with the other university street stores aren’t hurting our sales. Or at least that moving would hurt more than the competition.”

There’s silence. The food has gone cold and remains only half-eaten, the group too engrossed in thought.

“That’s going to take a lot of work,” Hoseok admits. “Hyunwoo and I already started but it turned out much bigger than we expected. It took us weeks to gather the records for  _just us_ , which we have easy access to. It’s going to be so much harder to gather the data from everyone else.”

“But you have us,” Jooheon reminds, eyes bright. Hyunwoo smiles slightly and Changkyun notes that the stress lines in his forehead loosen. Jooheon continues. “I’m sure you’ve started already but what do we need to do exactly to save  _Monbebe Ramen_?”

Hyunwoo’s expression turns serious again. “We need to do a thorough analysis on the cost of relocating, probably look at other restaurants that have relocated away from the university, and figure out how the current competition is affecting our sales. I don’t think it’ll be necessary but we might have to also prove that  _Ponyo’s Pot_ here will have smaller profit-margin than what we have currently.”

“I think they’re also considering potential for growth, which is why they think the competition is hurting us,” Hoseok cuts in, “so we’ll have to prove our sale records are improving quickly enough that it would incur a loss if we’re forced to relocate.”

“When are they planning to relocate us?” Minhyuk asks, fingers thrumming on the table.

“They gave us till the end of the lunar year,” Hyunwoo says solemnly. “They want to test out the popularity of  _Ponyo’s Pot_ in different locations first.” He hesitates, looking at the relieved expressions that have settled on their faces before he breaks the news. “It may seem like we have time but to improve our sale records significantly within that time margin plus do all that research, while hosting events that help us maintain the customer base, those few months will go by in a flash.”

Time, Changkyun thinks, does move too quickly. The door chimes and a customer walks in, the grandma from the bookstore that always visits to talk to Jooheon. Jooheon greets her with a smile, bringing her to her usual table while Kihyun goes to the back to start preparing her usual and the others quietly clean up. Slowly, the customers filter in and for now, the fears of the future are left for the rush of the now.

And as always, time continues to run and everyone else is left to catch up.

 

\-- --

 

Suddenly, Changkyun feels the strange sense of deja vu. To the side, Hoseok is tapping his foot impatiently as Hyungwon stands by him scrolling through his phone. The others are noticeably absent. Changkyun wonders if this is a conspiracy theory, one designed to make him lose his mind by being in the close proximity of the most attractive people Changkyun has ever met in his life, both in looks and in personality.

“Hyungs? Everything okay?”

Hoseok perks up. “Yeah, it’s fine,” he says, waving off the question. “Just… you know how the others can be.”

Changkyun turns to Hyungwon for explanation who finally looks up at them. “The others can’t make it,” is all Changkyun gets but he supposes that’s all he can ask for.

“But doesn’t Hyunwoo-hyung need to be here?” Changkyun asks, confused. They’re at  _Star1 Cafe_ with the hopes that the owners will let them copy their records to use for their data against Starship. Hyunwoo was once colleagues, even friends, with the owners and has the most leverage to ask.

Hoseok shakes his head. “He called earlier, said they gave him the okay. We just need to go in and get them. Besides,” he says with a shrug, “I kind of know the owners too so we just need to wait for them to show up and we’ll be good.”

This time, Changkyun leaves Hyungwon to order by himself, comfortable enough to trust whatever Hyungwon plans to order, and secretly glad that he’s not footing the bill this time around. He sits with Hoseok at the table while Hyungwon orders and pays.

Hoseok has his chin resting the palm of his hand, face tilted cutely, with a bright happy smile on his lips. He seems content to just sit there so Changkyun lets him be, choosing to scroll through the messages he’s received from the others while they wait. It’s the usual excuse from Minhyuk and Kihyun but Jooheon’s message is a little alarming.  _I hate 93-line_ is all it says as explanation for why he can’t go.

A sharp, “Yah!” breaks him out of this thoughts. Hoseok only pats his shoulders and tells him to stay put as he gets up to go help Hyungwon. They set the food down and Changkyun feels his mouth begin to salivate. It’s another huge variety of foods, ranging from things that Changkyun has never eaten before, and stuff that are classic comfort food. There’s expensive  _yukhoe_ and homemade triangle kimbap. There’s even  _tteokguk_ , Changkyun’s favorite food. How did Hyungwon know?

“We could cause a scene,” Hoseok suggests as he scoops some  _tteokguk_ into a bowl for Changkyun and sets it in front of him.

Hyungwon shakes his head. “We don’t even know if they’re here,” he says exasperatedly. “If you cause a scene, some innocent employee might call the cops on us.”

“We could just… knock on their door?” Changkyun says, after swallowing his soup. He hums lightly in delight. The  _tteokguk_ is thick and creamy and Changkyun feels the sticky residue cling to his lips. Hyungwon chuckles and leans over with a napkin to dab at Changkyun’s mouth, one hand holding Changkyun’s face still as he does so.

“Tsk, you’re just like a kid,” he scolds, but the smile never leaves his lips so Changkyun only grins happily back. He doesn’t mind the babying even though it does make his heart feel like it’s about to beat outside of his chest.

“Wait, Hoseok-hyung, why can’t you call them?” Changkyun asks when Hyungwon removes his hands from Changkyun’s face.

“Oh, that’s a good idea,” Hoseok says, brightening. He pulls out his phone and scrolls through his contacts. “Let’s see. There’s Bora-noona and Hyojung-noona. Maybe Jihyun-noona or Dasom? I think Hyunwoo said Jihyun-noona gave him the okay. I don’t know. Who should I call?”

“No need,” a voice says from behind Hoseok. Changkyun leans over to see a tall woman in heels and a bright red pencil skirt with a slit in the side steps up to the table. “Long time no see, Hoseok,” she greets, eyes demure and voice soft and light. “Hyunwoo said you’d be coming by but we’re still gathering the records right now. Figured I’d say hi first.”

Hoseok’s eyes light up. “Jihyun-noona!” he exclaims. “It’s been a while. Oh, have you met Changkyun yet?”

Jihyun looks at Changkyun with cool eyes. “I don’t believe so.”

“He’s our newest employee at  _Monbebe Ramen_. He’s paying off a debt to us but look, he’s just the cutest thing, right?” Hoseok gushes and Changkyun holds down the impulse to whine like the child Hoseok probably sees him as.

The woman in front of him stares at him with a critical eye, which makes Changkyun want to shrink into his seat, but Hyungwon’s hand reaches for his and helps soothe his frayed nerves. “It’s nice to meet you, Jihyun-shi,” he murmurs, bowing his head so that he doesn’t see her sharp gaze.

“He’s cute,” she confirms and Changkyun feels the heat creep up his neck. “But Hoseok, Hyunwoo told me you were  _finally_ dating Hyungwon. What happened?”

Hoseok looks alarmed. “What? I  _am_ dating Hyungwon.”

“But, you and him,” she says, pointing her finger between the three of them, “Ah, never mind,” she waves off. “Congratulations, Hoseok. Finally, after all this time. I remember when you used to call me complaining about Hyungwon this and Hyungwon that and how you were  _so in love_ with him.”

“Noona,” Hoseok whines while Hyungwon adopts a shit-eating grin and rests his chin on his hands like an evil mastermind, “Don’t embarrass me in front of the kids.”

“Hyungwon-ah,” Jihyun says, turning to the model-like cook with a conspiratorial smile, “what did he pay you to date him?” They both laugh to the background whines of  _noona, why_?

Hyungwon smiles fondly and reaches the hand that is around Changkyun’s to squeeze Hoseok’s hand. “Lots of love and kindness,” he says. “And sex. Lots of sex.”

Jihyun crinkles her nose in disgust. “Changkyun-shi, I’m sorry that they made you come here with them. Let me know if you’re looking to date. I could set you up with someone,” she says with a sly smile and Changkyun nods along because he can’t figure out what to say. She steps back. “Alright, I’ll let you guys finish your dinner and hopefully we’ll have finished gathering the records. Sorry about not being able to do this electronically but we’re pretty old so most of our records are written.”

Hoseok waves her off. “It’s fine, noona. Thanks for helping us. Hyunwoo must have called in a huge favor.”

She laughs. “You could say that. Enjoy. If you finish and we’re not done yet, I’ll give you guys ice cream on the house, okay?” Jihyun leaves with a short wave as she walks off and Changkyun sits in stunned silence.

“That’s Jihyun-noona for you,” Hoseok quips, taking a sip from his cup. “It’s good Hyojung-noona wasn’t here. I don’t think you would have survived, Changkyunnie,” he teases, giving a lighthearted pat on Changkyun’s back.

“Hyungs, she’s not  _really_ going to set me up with someone, right?” Changkyun asks anxiously, stirring the noodles on his plate with his chopsticks to keep his hands busy. They’ve eaten through most of their food and only a few morsels are left.

Hoseok shakes his head with a small smile before it drops. “Unless you want to?” he says curiously, peering at Changkyun with an expression that Changkyun is too nervous to read correctly.

Changkyun frantically shakes his head. “No, no, no,” he says. “It’s fine! I already like someone.” The moment he says this he curses his brain-to-mouth filter for failing him once again. That is not a confession he was planning to make any time soon.

He’s panicking so hard internally that he almost misses Hoseok and Hyungwon’s face drop in discouragement. “Oh, who is it?” Hoseok teases but there’s a lack of mirth in his eyes that makes Changkyun feel cold.

“Uh…” he says, unable to form words coherently as his mind races to divert attention from him. “Jihyun-shi!” he calls out brightly, shoulders untensing in relief when he sees the tall woman approach the table.

“You like Jihyun-noona?” Hyungwon sputters, looking completely lost. Hoseok looks equally so.

“Who likes me?” Jihyun asks, and Hyungwon startles, almost totally unaware that Jihyun has stepped up next to him.

“It’s nothing,” Hoseok hastily replies, his own face finally clearing of the same shock and confusion that Hyungwon had on his face. “What’s up, noona?”

“We found some more documents in the back so it’s going to take a little longer than we thought.” She pulls something from her skirt pocket and hands it to Hoseok. “Here. Give this to the cashier and he’ll give you a free ice cream sundae, perfect for the summer. Sorry for the wait.”

“No, it’s really no problem. Sorry for making you do this,” Hoseok answers. “We’ll enjoy this.”

Jihyun hums with an all-knowing glint in her eye that makes Changkyun a little scared. “I’m sure you will,” she says demurely before she walks off.

Changkyun quickly rushes to keep the topic in a safe space. “Hyungs, I’ll go get the ice cream. I’m stuffed.”

Hoseok shrugs and hands the coupon to him. Changkyun makes his escape. The cashier takes the coupon and starts making the sundae, layering scoops of ice cream with hot fudge and sprinkles and a smattering of different kinds of fruit. While Changkyun waits, he spots the ice cream list and mentally calculates how much money he has in his wallet.

“Excuse me,” he says, waiting for the worker to look up, “can I also get a scoop of Rainbow Sherbert please?” Silently, the employee plops a cherry on top of the giant mound of ice cream and puts a scoopful of the colorful rainbow sherbert into a small cup. “Thank you,” he says politely as he hands the worker his card to ring up.

The sundae is huge, almost the size of Changkyun’s head but it looks delicious and Changkyun is tempted to take a bite out of it before he returns to the table. Carefully, he walks back, watching his feet carefully so he doesn’t accidentally trip and make the ice cream go flying into some poor unsuspecting soul’s face. The small ice cream cup is clutched to the side of the bowl, slightly tilted, and it feels like it could spill at any moment. He’s so busy concentrating on not falling, he doesn’t see Hoseok and Hyungwon walk over to help him until he feels a hand on his back and hands covering his, before sliding down and lifting the bowl out of his grip.

Hoseok walks leisurely back, easily, and Changkyun is almost jealous because his arms ache from the weight of the ice cream and bowl. Only the small ice cream is left in his hands and even then, Hyungwon takes it from him and guides him back to his seat, a warm hand secured around his hip like it’s meant to be there.

He leaves Hyungwon and Hoseok to decimate the mound of vanilla ice cream, occasionally reaching over to grab some chocolate doused fruit for himself. The sherbert he has is sweet and creamy, the slight sourness a refreshing taste in his mouth over all the food. Maybe too zealously, he stuffs a large spoonful into his mouth and groans, the sweet tanginess bursting in his mouth. But the scoop is too big and as he slowly pulls the spoon out with a pop, his cheeks remain full with ice cream. The coldness brushes the roof of his mouth and he winces, already feeling the brain freeze. He manages to swallow and mentally scolds himself for getting too greedy.

When he looks up, Hoseok and Hyungwon are just staring at him, mouths wide open in shock, vanilla ice cream still in their mouth. Changkyun tries to keep the dirty thoughts away about the two but the thin trail of vanilla white ice cream that clings on to Hyungwon’s lips and tongue drive his mind to indecent places. He tilts his head in confusion as they continue to stare in stunned silence. Why are they staring at him like that? Self-consciously, he looks down at his clothes and sighs in relief when they’re not stained with ice cream.

“Hyungs?”

Hoseok snaps out of it first, Hyungwon still in a daze, but Changkyun doesn’t think too much about it. In the months that he’s known them, dazed is simply just Hyungwon’s default state. “It’s nothing,” Hoseok says cheerfully but his voice sounds strained. “Right, Hyungwon?” Hoseok adds, nudging Hyungwon in the side.

Hyungwon snaps out of his daze with a jump. “Yeah, yeah, it’s nothing,” he stammers out, sticking a spoonful of ice cream into his mouth to avoid talking. Changkyun looks at them strangely but he can’t decipher what they’re thinking so he brushes it aside. He’s always known that Hoseok and Hyungwon have a tendency to live inside their own world, so he just categorizes it as them just being them.

It’s quiet, a strange awkwardness present in the air that normally does not exist. Changkyun stirs his spoon through the melted remains of his sherbert, licking the spoon for the sweet and sour taste. He looks at the empty bowl with a pout, the scoop not large enough to satisfy.

Next to him, Hyungwon chuckles before using his spoon to pick up a little ice cream and a chocolate doused strawberry. “Here, Changkyun,” he says, holding out the spoon with his hand out to catch any melted ice cream. Happily, Changkyun accepts the offer and thanks Hyungwon with a smile. He leans forward as Hyungwon scours through the bowl for more strawberries waiting for another bite but Hyungwon suddenly freezes and turns to Changkyun with wide eyes.

Hoseok, on the other side of him, sighs. Changkyun leans back, confused. “What’s wrong, hyungs?”

“Just…” Hoseok starts, but he hesitates like he’s not sure of what he wants to say. “Is this okay?”

“What’s okay?” Changkyun asks, looking between the two who can’t seem to look at him in the eye.

“This,” Hoseok says, gesturing between the three of them, “us, you and me and Hyungwon, just… everything that’s been happening.”

Maybe Changkyun is a little more oblivious than he realizes because he can’t seem to understand any of what Hoseok is trying to say. “Uh… huh?” He feels eyes on him and he turns only to meet Hyungwon’s gaze.

Hyungwon’s stare makes Changkyun nervous. It’s so intense, like Hyungwon is attempting to read Changkyun’s mind and he wonders if Hyungwon can hear his heart race because that’s all he can hear inside his head besides the voice screaming in his head for being so weird. He shifts his eyes to look at Hoseok instead and it’s not really any better because Hoseok looks like he’s about to break bad news.

“We’re fairly… affectionate people,” Hoseok says slowly. “And not everyone is comfortable with it.”

Hyungwon hums in agreement, drawing Changkyun’s eyes back to him. He’s sipping his drink through the straw, a grimace on his face. It’s obvious he doesn’t want to speak but somehow, he forces himself to. “Way back, before we even met you, we actually dated other people.” Changkyun’s eyes widen in surprise because he can hardly imagine Hyungwon and Hoseok not being Hyungwon  _and_ Hoseok.

“Stop looking so surprised. You were the reason we even managed to get together.” He pauses to sip his drink, which gives Changkyun time to force the heat rising up to his ears away. “Anyways, not everyone liked how we showed affection and my girlfriend actually broke up with me over it.”

Hoseok snorts into his drink. “Small blessings in disguise,” he murmurs.

“But we just wanted to know if you were okay the way we are. You know, hugging and cuddling and feeding and all that.”

Changkyun nods. “Of course, why wouldn’t I be? You guys are like this with the others and I don’t see them complain. I don’t know why you think I would.”

Hoseok opens his mouth as if to say something then closes it again. Hyungwon sighs. “It’s not that,” he says, voice tinged with helplessness. “It’s different with you.”

Ignoring the sinking feeling in his gut, Changkyun plasters a smile on, hoping they don’t notice that it doesn’t reach his eyes. “I think I get it now.”

“You do?” Hoseok asks, eyes widening with hope.

A bitter smile crosses Changkyun’s lips. It should have been obvious. “Yeah, I’m sorry, I should have known. I didn’t realize I was intruding on your personal time. I’ll call my friend and I’ll be out of the apartment by the weekend. I’ll go do that now,” he says, bracing himself to stand up.

“No! That’s not it!” Hoseok exclaims, reaching to grab him by the arm before he can walk away. “That’s definitely not it!” Changkyun looks back curiously, bewildered by the hysteria in Hoseok’s voice.

Another hand wraps itself around his other wrist and Changkyun follows the arm to Hyungwon who looks worried. “We love having you with us, Changkyun. Why would you even think that we didn’t want you around?” he says and Changkyun sits back down with a plop, head swirling with questions.

“Just, you know,” he mumbles, “you haven’t really had time to do… you know…  _stuff_ together since I moved in. And you said that most people weren’t comfortable with your affection. So I thought maybe you wanted some space since you said the way you like me is different, like you didn’t see me as a close friend like the others. I get that, I’m newer and I was only meant to pay off my debt anyways. Just… I don’t know.”

“I mean, you’re right,” Hoseok says before Hyungwon slaps him in the head. Changkyun clenches his fists, hoping not to feel the hurt spread. “What?” he complains, rubbing at the spot Hyungwon hit. “It’s true. We can’t have sex when he’s in the room. Doesn’t stop us from doing it elsewhere though,” he continues with a sly grin.

Hyungwon groans. “See, eating too much protein gives you an insane sex drive. No wonder I’m tired all the time.”

“You wouldn’t be if you went to work out with me,” Hoseok shoots back. Changkyun looks between the two as they argue and just feels even more confused.

Before it can escalate and take away from the topic at hand, Changkyun cuts them off mid-rant. “What’s going on then?” He stops them before they can say anything. “Just tell me straight. This is confusing me. I’m tired.”

Hoseok and Hyungwon look to each other, a silent conversation held in their eyes. Changkyun closes his eyes and tries not to feel like the world is caving in around him. What is that they want? They’re not breaking up and telling him it’s not his fault like he’s their child, are they? He shudders at that thought. The feelings he has for Hoseok and Hyungwon are certainly not familial, even though he doesn’t really know what they are exactly himself.

Attraction, sure. Longing, maybe. Love? He knows that can only end in heartbreak. Changkyun’s not going to be a homewrecker. Besides, what are the chances that they-

“We like you.”

“As a friend, right?” he asks, an automatic response ingrained in his head, not sure if he should believe his ears at Hyungwon’s words. It makes no sense.

Hoseok groans. “No, we like you, like we’re interested in you.”

“So like a threesome,” he says because that makes a little more sense. The couple might want to experiment in the bedroom and what better than someone who isn’t a super close friend? Changkyun wonders what that means that he’s seriously considering it.

Hoseok facepalms and the action startles Changkyun. “No. I mean yes, maybe, but like more than just that.” At this point, Hoseok is almost incoherent, his lisp becoming more prominent the more worked up he gets. “It’s uh, uh-”

“A relationship,” Hyungwon finishes. “We both like you and we both want to have a relationship with you.”

“What?” Changkyun can’t hear much more, the roaring in his head mixing with his thoughts running a hundred miles an hour.

Hoseok tries to explain it because Hyungwon looks like he’s about to explode from Changkyun not  _getting it_. “Do you know what polyamory is?”

Changkyun’s heard of it but has never believed that he would be a part of something like it. “Yeah. I’ve heard of it.”

Hoseok smiles in relief. “Good, then you understand what we’re asking of you.”

To be honest, Changkyun is starting to form an idea but a tiny part of him still can’t believe it. The part of him scoffs at the possibility that this couple that Changkyun has harbored maybe not so platonic feelings for returns those feelings. It makes Changkyun dizzy.

“So, am I like both your mistresses then? No one knows and we go on dates and have sex-”

“No sex!” Hoseok bursts out then calms down, “unless you want to, of course. It’s your decision. We would love that-” Hoseok’s cut off by a flick to his forehead. He whines and rubs at the sore spot but Hyungwon ignores him and turns to Changkyun whose emotions are currently warring inside of him.

Hyungwon smiles and reaches over to take his hand. Both hands cover his, completely enveloping Changkyun’s hand in long fingers. “You’d be part of this relationship as an equally participating member. People won’t have to know if you don’t want them to but we’re serious, Changkyun. We like you a lot.” He hesitates and his hands tighten around Changkyun’s like he’s asking for some courage. Changkyun squeezes lightly back hoping to convey it. “Do you like both of us too?”

It’s an answer that Changkyun hasn’t thought about, certainly not in this situation, yet when Hyungwon asks, he already knows.

“Yes, I do.”

 

\-- --

 

“Thanks for these, man,” Changkyun says, holding up the flash drive in his hand.

Changhyun waves him off. “It’s no problem, dude. Glad to help.” Changkyun thanks Changhyun again and leaves  _Honey10 Spot_ with their sale records since opening. Luckily, Changhyun is Changkyun’s college classmate who was willing to pull a few strings to help out.

The text tone goes off on his phone.  _Pring!_   _Pring! Pring!_

Changkyun already knows what the texts will say. Hoseok will send a cute  _we miss you!_ and maybe a selca with a heavy filter. A bunch of emojis will follow the text. Hyungwon’s texts are simple and straight to the point, a short  _see you tomorrow_ to make his point clear. He can’t help but smile when he opens the messages up and it’s exactly what he expects to see. The past few months have been some of the best months in Changkyun’s short life and he can’t say that he regrets them.

The new contact photos he has saved for Hoseok and Hyungwon are derp pictures from the last date they had before Changkyun had to move back to the dorms. Fondly, he runs a thumb over the photo and smiles. He misses them too. University is almost over and Changkyun is working hard to have an easy final semester. But this means that he’s far busier than he was during the summer, which leaves little time to spend with his boyfriends.

_Boyfriends_. It’s still something new and strange to Changkyun even though it’s been months since they’ve become official. As soon as Minhyuk found the hickey that Hyungwon left on Changkyun’s neck, the news spread so quickly that they had to come clean and admit that the three were all dating. He remembers Hyungwon and Hoseok hugging him tight and leaving soft kisses all over his face while he worried about what the others would think.

Nonetheless, the others didn’t care, just enjoyed having new material to tease them with. But while they’re working, now they can sneak kisses and soft touches and it satisfies Changkyun enough for now. A small make-out session with Hyungwon in the kitchen or a quick butt slap as he passes Hoseok all become precious signs of affection that Changkyun stores in his heart.

They go on dates too, often to  _Star1 Cafe_ because that’s where it all started. When Changkyun still lived with them for the summer semester, they put the beds together and had giant cuddle sessions. He feels loved and is showered with affection that makes his heart beat fast. Other times, it veers into more dangerous territory, a knee in between Changkyun’s legs as he’s pushed against the wall and a tongue slipping into his mouth. After Changkyun moved out and back into the dorms, they don’t have as many chances because of Changkyun’s roommate but Hoseok and Hyungwon never let him go home alone at night. They’ll both leave him with a deep kiss that has him dizzy and dazed all the way until he reaches his room and then some.

They haven’t tried sex yet, too new to a relationship when Changkyun was living with them, and now not enough time when Changkyun is staying in the dorms. It’s fine because Changkyun likes it like this, prefers it even, to be able to move at their own pace, slowly and comfortably. In another semester, he can move back in and then they can try something new. He becomes giddy at the thought.

But sometimes, he thinks that once his debt is paid for, he doesn’t know if they’ll need him to stay. He doesn’t want to leave, not when he’s gotten so attached to the employees at  _Monbebe Ramen_. He doesn’t bring it up, doesn’t want to ruin the happiness that he has just found. He knows he would do anything for Hoseok and Hyungwon but  _Monbebe Ramen_ is a home he’s found as well. Changkyun sees how hard everyone is working to save the restaurant and he knows that they will be devastated if it all ends in naught.

Unexpectedly, there’s another message. When he looks closer, the messages from Hyungwon and Hoseok are from earlier in the day, ones he hadn’t gotten a chance to read yet because right after classes, he had gone to  _Honey10 Spot_ to help collect the data. The newest message is from Hyunwoo. It reads  _We need to talk. Don’t bring Hoseok or Hyungwon._

Changkyun frowns. He’s not sure why Hyunwoo would need to talk with him. So far, there hasn’t been any major problems. He types out  _sure thing, hyung_ and makes his way down the few blocks to get to  _Monbebe Ramen_.

The restaurant is open but it’s not very crowded, the Chuseok holiday weekend having just passed. The university students that normally fill the space are sparse but Changkyun knows they will start returning soon once the care packages of food from loving parents have dwindled to nothing. He knows this because while he couldn’t go back to Gwangju over the break, Hyungwon and Hoseok did, returning with piles and piles of food from their parents. They dropped by to share, his new roommate still out of town for the weekend.

Quietly, he knocks on Hyunwoo’s office door but it remains silent. He tries again and frowns when he realizes that the door is locked. Someone steps up behind him.

“Ah, sorry Changkyun,” Hyunwoo apologizes, digging the keys out from his pocket. “Do you have the records from  _Honey 10 Spot_?” Changkyun nods and Hyunwoo smiles. “Great.”

Changkyun notices that Hyunwoo looks tense. When he entered the restaurant, instead of the normal lively cheer, it had felt somber and cold. “Why did you need to talk to me?”

“Hyungwon and Hoseok aren’t here, right?” Hyunwoo asks. He looks anxious and Changkyun frowns.

“No,” he says. “But why is that important?”

Hyunwoo sighs and ushers him inside first. “I think it’s best if we talk about this privately,” he says vaguely. If this was any other man, Changkyun would be suspicious but this is Hyunwoo and all he can feel is worry for why Hyunwoo feels like he needs to keep secrets, especially from the rest of the stuff who he normally tells everything.

“Hyung, is everything okay?”

“No.”

Changkyun’s heart almost stops at that one word. Hyunwoo looks defeated, slumped over in his chair, face buried in his palms. It’s a pitiful sight, looking at a man normally so steadfast and strong deflating under the pressure. “What’s wrong?”

Hyunwoo sighs and rubs at his temples. “Sorry, I’m just stressed right now. Things aren’t looking good.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean that the company might be right. We are losing business because there’s too much competition. Or at least that’s what the numbers say.” Hyunwoo must have noticed the look of confusion of Changkyun’s face because he stops and clicks around on the computer screen, pulling up some files. “You’ve taken a finance class right?”

“Yeah, as an elective,” Changkyun nods, leaning in to look at the spreadsheet in front of him. Honestly, he’s impressed. He thought Hyunwoo was an old man who doesn’t know how to work his way around technology.

“Minhyuk made this for me,” Hyunwoo explains, scrolling through the numbers. “When we compare older restaurants with less competition vs newer shops as well as basing it on type of restaurant and location, the data shows that more competition reduces sales significantly. It’s obvious that it would happen but I didn’t anticipate to this extent. Right now,” Hyunwoo says, clicking some more to pull up a list of restaurants in the university square, names highlighted in different colors, “from what we’ve seen so far, we’re lagging behind.”

“So the company thinks that if we move somewhere else,” Changkyun points to the top of the list, “these will disappear and we’ll move up?”

Hyunwoo nods grimly. “But we’ve only collected data from some of the most popular shops on the block and around the new location. There’s no telling what it will happen when we have more complete records.”

Changkyun steps back. “So why did you want to talk to me?”

Hyunwoo lowers his voice. “We have to prove that we’re the best sellers for Starship and that moving will hurt us more than not. There’s something that I think only you can do.”

“What do you mean?”

“There’s a new cafe that Starship opened up after  _Star1_ went independent. It’s called  _Friendship Station_. The problem is that when I went to scout it out, they said that if management caught them giving their records to one of us, they’d get in trouble. The hired Starship staff almost kicked me out when I tried talking to the girls. Luckily, they knew me from before so they contacted me later.”

“Why are you asking me then?”

“The staff don’t know you. The rest of us have worked with their staff before they transferred to  _Friendship Station_ so if they saw any of us, they’d know who we are right away. But you came when a lot of staff were leaving so most of them don’t know you.”

“I don’t get it. So you want me to go in and ask for the records? And they’ll just hand it to me?”

“The owners will. But the Starship-hired staff will be on the lookout for anyone from  _Monbebe Ramen_.”

“So that’s why you didn’t want me to tell Hoseok-hyung or Hyungwon-hyung?”

Hyunwoo sighs, a long-suffering sigh that speaks of years of dealing with Hoseok and Hyungwon. “There’s a reason I only told you. If I told anyone else in this establishment, by the end of the day, everyone would know and would try to tag along.”

Changkyun nods. “That would ruin the plan. So I just stop by and tell them you sent me?”

Hyunwoo hesitates. “Not exactly. You have to distract the staff enough so they can gather the data without being watched. That might take a few weeks.”

“How would I do that?”

“They’re still fairly new so they don’t have that many staff. It’ll be enough just to keep them busy making orders or stuff.”

Changkyun hums. “I can do that. Should every other day or two be okay?”

Hyunwoo sighs in relief, his shoulders relaxing. “That should be fine. Just… don’t tell the others yet. You know how they are.”

Changkyun thinks back to the others’ shenanigans and agrees with Hyunwoo. “I’ll try.”

“I need to let the girls know first. But in a few weeks, can you start heading over to  _Friendship Station_ to distract the managerial staff? I’ll get the others to cover your shift. Just make an excuse.”

“I can do that,” he nods.

“Thank you, Changkyun,” Hyunwoo says. He stands up. “We should go before the others get suspicious.”

 

\-- --

 

Hoseok and Hyungwon are getting suspicious, Changkyun finds out. He knows this because they intercept him at the university when they should be at the restaurant. With Changkyun taken out to collect data at  _Friendship Station_ , the others are needed to work around the clock to fill in the missing space.

“Hyungs! What are you doing here? Don’t you guys have to be at work?” he asks as he bends down to pick up his bag. In it is the flashdrive that he needs to deliver to whoever is on duty today, he thinks it’s Luda, to transfer the folder of all the collected electronic records. With a quick hand, he slides it into his jacket pocket and walks towards them.

Hoseok’s smile looks strained. “Just wanted to see how you’ve been doing, Changkyun,” he says, voice tight. “We haven’t seen you in a while.”

Changkyun scratches the back of his head and laughs, hoping it doesn’t sound too nervous. “Yeah, this assignment is killing us. You know how it is.” That’s his cover to his boyfriends, that he’s working on a project with some of the girls from  _Friendship Station_. It’s worked so far, most of the employees at  _Monbebe Ramen_ have known the girls at  _Friendship Station_ much longer than he has, plus they go to the same college so it isn’t as suspicious.

The laugh that Hoseok does in response is so fake that it makes Changkyun’s stomach sink. “Where are you going? We’ll drop you off,” Hoseok says.

Changkyun’s almost about to agree but he remembers that he can’t be seen with Hyungwon and Hoseok at  _Friendship Station_. “No, it’s fine, hyung,” he says, waving his hands and shaking his head. “I don’t want to make you guys late for work.”

“We’re already late,” Hyungwon drawls. “Hyunwoo-hyung said we could come in later anyways.”

Mentally cursing Hyunwoo for making his life more difficult, Changkyun plasters a smile on his face even though his mind is racing trying to figure a way out.

“Unless you don’t want us to drop you off,” Hoseok says. It seems nonchalant and Changkyun almost misses the underlying tone in his words.

“No, really, it’s fine, hyung,” he tries, hoping that they’ll stop asking questions and let him go. He shifts uncomfortably where he’s standing, not liking the unreadable expressions on their face as they look down towards him. He tries to look at them straight on, hoping to convey his intentions.

Hyungwon sighs and turns breaking eye contact and Changkyun can’t deny that it hurts. “Whatever,” he mutters. “Do what you want.”

“Hyung?”

He’s met with silence and something stirs uncomfortably in his stomach. He turns to Hoseok who only looks down, not meeting his eyes. Changkyun steps forward to reach for Hoseok’s hand but Hoseok pulls it behind him so that Changkyun can’t reach.

“I think we need to talk, Changkyun,” Hoseok says, eyes never meeting Changkyun’s.

“What? Talk about what?” Changkyun asks nervously. He already knows that he doesn’t like where this conversation is going. He holds his breath, waiting for Hoseok to answer.

“About this, about us,” Hoseok gestures and before Changkyun can register the chill that turns him frozen, his phone buzzes with a text message. He doesn’t answer it, not wanting to disappoint Hoseok even more but the cellphone keeps buzzing and it makes too much sound in the silence between the three of them.

With a sigh, Hoseok turns away while Changkyun pulls out his phone. His blood goes cold when he sees the message.  _Changkyun, you need to hurry. Management almost found out that we were collecting the files. You need to come quickly before they figure it out_.

Changkyun looks up at the two men before him who give him pointed looks. He breathes out slowly and tries to draw out his reserves of courage. “I’m sorry hyungs, I have to go. We can talk later.” Changkyun wraps a hand around the strap of his backpack as he turns away to head for  _Friendship Station_.

A strong grip stops him and Changkyun looks back to see Hoseok. “No, we need to talk about this now.”

“I have to go,” he replies, gritting his teeth and trying to free himself from the stranglehold Hoseok has on his wrist. There’s a momentary stare-off before Hoseok looks away.

“Fine,” Hoseok says, defeated, “but if you go, we’re over. I can’t take this anymore, Changkyun.”

Changkyun feels the hand slacken around his wrist and he pulls it free, bringing his other hand to rub gently around the sore spot. “Hyung, you don’t mean that, right?”

It’s tense but it’s enough to hear Hoseok’s quiet, “I do.”

Panic fills Changkyun’s chest but his phone buzzes one more time in his hand,  _they’re starting to threaten us to reveal the folder_ and he knows he has to make a decision. It’s an obvious answer.

“I’m sorry hyungs,” he says, bowing to them and putting some distance between him and the two in front of him. “But I have to go.” He straightens up and starts to turn away. “I promise I’ll explain when it’s all over.”

There’s no way he can miss the heartbreak that shatters Hoseok and Hyungwon’s expressions. Hyungwon draws Hoseok into him and gives a short glare to Changkyun who has to hold back the pain from the pieces of his heart stabbing him in the chest. “Just go,” he says bitterly and Changkyun turns and starts running.

He doesn’t let himself look back.

  
  


“I’m here,” he breathes out, out of breath from running all the way to  _Friendship Station_. “Are you guys okay?”

The girl that greets him at the door has sunny blonde hair and she whispers back, “We’re fine. Dayoung managed to hide the file while Eunseo and Yeonjung distracted them. But thank god you’re here.” Out loud, she greets him with a “Hello sir, welcome to  _Friendship Station_! I’ll bring you to your table and one of the waiters will come help you.”

Changkyun can feel the eyes on him. “Hey, Luda-shi, why so formal,” he jokes, “aren’t I a regular now?”

“Of course,” she says primly, walking towards the open table. It’s the one he always sits, the furthest away from the managerial office, guaranteeing that the girls running the shop can work on transferring the files without anyone watching them.

He puts his hand in his pocket, feeling for the flashdrive, pulling it out and slipping it up the sleeve of his jacket. “Excuse me gentlemen,” he says to the hawk-eyed staffers watching him and the short-haired waitress, “may we have some privacy?” They don’t move and Changkyun sighs, before stepping closer to the much shorter girl even with her tall heels, leaning down so that their faces are right next to each other.

“I’m going to give you a hug,” he says softly and she nods discretely, her facial expression frozen into one of mock surprise. It’s convincing enough, he thinks as he wraps arms around her and pushes his head forward until they’re cheek to cheek and his mouth is next to her ear. In the corner of his eye, he can see the staff turn their heads away.

The hand farthest from the Starship staff’s eyes slides the flashdrive down his sleeve and into her apron pocket, where it’s become dislodged from the hug. He steps back and lets her fix her apron and brush the wrinkles out of her clothes. It’s perfect enough to look like a surprise confession and he knows that he’ll be able to use that to his advantage.

“Your waiter will be right with you,” she tells him and subtly winks (although it’s more of a blink, but Changkyun doesn’t tell her that). He knows the menu by heart now but he likes to order his usual meal and some different dessert each time. He can see Luda enter the managerial office, two of the younger girls following after her like they’re in trouble before she shuts the door.

There are two male staff members today, both with tiny starship logos on their name badge. It’s a good plan, the name badges normally full of stars and moons, making the starship seem not out of place, but still unique enough that it tells Changkyun these are who he needs to distract. He can see one start to make his way towards the office before Changkyun calls him over.

“Hey, can I get the menu?”

The waiter changes direction to grab a menu and comes over, the tiny starship logo glinting under the soft lighting of the outer space themed shop. Today, it’s Seungchan. He looks bored. “Your usual?”

Changkyun looks over to see the other man looking between him and the office. “It’s a special day,” he says with a bright smile. He hums, scanning over the menu handed to him, trying to figure out which one will take the longest to make. He ponders it over for a few minutes, extending the time as much as he can, watching the man grow visibly agitated. “Can I have the strawberry mango smoothie? With whipped cream.”

“Of course,” he says, through grit teeth. He leaves and Changkyun smiles. Earlier, Luda had messaged him a list of items that they had run out and that wouldn’t be restocked until later. The only way they’d get it is if they went to the store to pick it up themselves. Since the managerial staff do that, it would give the girls plenty of time to transfer the files. This is the last day and they’re transferring the final file over so he needs to distract them for much longer than usual.

As expected, the waiter returns, a fake smile plastered on his face. “I’m sorry, we’ve run out of whipped cream and strawberries. Would you like to order something else instead? Maybe your usual?”

If this had been anyone else, Changkyun would have said yes. But instead, he pouts and does his best to look disheartened. “I was really looking forward to a strawberry mango smoothie,” he says, “maybe I should go to a different place instead.”

Seungchan laughs nervously and Changkyun watches as he scans the mostly empty cafe. “Ah, that won’t be necessary. We can go and buy some right away. Would you like anything else while you wait?”

Changkyun grins, eyes sparkling. “Can I also get a  _Super Special Station_ burger?” He can visibly see the man wilt before his eyes.

“Of course,” he says. “It’ll be a while though as we are out of avocados and bacon right now. Would you like to order something else instead?” The man’s eyes look pleading but Changkyun only smiles indulgently.

“It’s alright, I can wait.” The man sighs and writes down his order. He leaves, shoulders slumped and signals to the other man who has been watching the office, to come with him.

The store where they buy their ingredients is close by, one of the reasons that they do not have a lot of food in storage like other restaurants. He watches them leave, their car setting off down the road before he knocks on the office door and opens it. The three girls look at him from where they are surrounding the computer.

Changkyun breathes out a sigh of relief, feeling the character he’s put on wear away. For a moment, this charade he is acting is on pause and he lets his shoulders sag with the weight he’s been carrying on his shoulders. He reminds himself that this is for the best, that Hyungwon and Hoseok will understand when he finally gets to tell them. He straightens up.

“They’re off for a grocery run,” he says. “How much longer is this going to take?”

Luda huffs in frustration. “There’s so much data that it’s taking a while.”

“Can you leave it to load alone?”

She shakes her head. “We can but if we leave the office, there’s a chance they’ll go in before we get a chance to remove it.”

“Yeonjung,” Changkyun says, turning to the girl that is standing behind Luda, “can you keep an eye on it then? They’ll get suspicious if all of you are still in the office for too long. They’ll be back soon.”

She nods and goes back, closing the door behind her. The bells on the door chimes and Luda turns to greet the new customers but her eyes widen and she looks at Changkyun in fright. He turns and he freezes. He blinks a few times not believing his eyes but the apparitions do not go away.

In the doorway, Hyungwon and Hoseok stand. The sun shines behind them and their visuals are almost blinding. Changkyun curses internally but plasters on a fake smile. “Hyungs, what are you doing here?”

“We need to talk,” Hoseok says and his voice sounds ragged, like he’s put it through a grinder. Even from where Changkyun stands, he can see the redness that tinges Hoseok’s eyes and nose, like he’s been crying.

“I told you, I’d talk to you later,” he says. “You need to leave.”

“No,” Hyungwon replies, voice cold and level. Changkyun flinches at the tone. “Look,” he sighs, “we’re trying to work this out. Please let us work this out,” he pleads, eyes tired and shoulders slouched.

There’s a moment’s hesitation but it’s a moment too much. Behind the two, Changkyun sees the Starship staff’s car pull up into the lot.

“Yeonjung, how much longer is it?” he calls out and there’s a muffled shout.

“Twenty-ish more minutes!”

He curses when he sees the men pulling grocery bags from the cars. It’s too late to tell Hoseok and Hyungwon the whole plan but they’re so close and he can’t be caught now, not when it’s almost over, not when he’s knowingly risked so much for this.

“Hyungs, you have to pretend like you don’t know me. Please.” He almost goes down on his knees to beg but they must see the desperation in his eyes, hear it in his voice.

They both stare at him with hard expressions mixed with confusion before they relent. “Why?” Hyungwon asks and there’s no time to explain.

“Just trust me, please,” he says before he turns away. “You have to be careful,” he tells Luda, knowing that the Starship-hired staff will confront them if they suspect any relations with the  _Monbebe Ramen_ employees. Hoseok and Hyungwon don’t know what’s going on but there’s no time because the door’s bell chimes and the play resumes.

“Hyungwon, Hoseok, is that you?” one of the men says. “Long time no see!”

“Ah, Seungchan-hyung,” Hoseok says in greeting. “It’s been a while.”

“Come, sit, sit. You’re not here for the restaurant records, are you? Hyunwoo called before and we told him we can’t give it to him,” the other male says, ushering them to a table a little off from where Changkyun is sitting. It’s closer to the office where Yeonjung is still inside and it makes Changkyun tense.

“Thanks, Hongshikie-hyung,” Hyungwon replies with a quiet laugh. “It’s not that. Was just in the area.”

Seungchan doesn’t join them, only waves and points to the kitchen where he carries the supplies. The smell of fresh food spreads slowly through the establishment. There’s a loud whirring of the blenders and the clattering of knives cutting through food and cans of whipped cream being opened.

However, Changkyun can’t help but focus on Hongshik and his boyfriends (are they still his boyfriends? He doesn’t know.). Hongshik doesn’t seem suspicious and he thanks the stars that he hasn’t caught on.

Seungchan brings out his burger and smoothie, freshly made and Changkyun’s mouth waters. He’s lucky that Hyunwoo agreed to subsidize some of his pay so that he could pass as a well-paying customer. Closing his eyes, he takes a bite out of the burger and moans at the taste. When he looks up, he can see Hyungwon and Hoseok’s eyes on him.

“Is everything to your liking?” Seungchan asks him, the expression on his face pleasant and just barely showing his annoyance asides for his slight twitching eyebrow.

“It’s great as always,” he says, setting the burger down and taking a sip. He keeps an eye out for Hongshik, who seems engaged in a conversation with Hyungwon while Hoseok blankly looks at him. “If things don’t go well, it would suck that I can’t come here anymore. The food here is great.”

“Oh, I’m sure you’ll find plenty of reason to come back,” the waiter says with a smirk, eyes roaming to where Luda stands at the door. Changkyun doesn’t say anything to that, lets the man thinks he understands what’s going on.

He leaves to go help prepare the food that Hyungwon and Hoseok have ordered. Changkyun slowly eats through his meal waiting for the text to come. Luda seems impatient as well. From where Changkyun is, he can see Luda crouch down to write something on the welcoming sign. She pulls out her phone the same time Changkyun’s phone  _dings!_ with a text message.  _It’s done_.

Now they need to manage to get Yeonjung out without revealing that she was there the whole time. Luda scoffs and picks up the marker, pretending to write. “Manager-nim,” she calls out, “I’m going to get another marker from the office.”

Seungchan and Hongshik are sitting across from Hyungwon and Hoseok, backs facing the office. If they move quickly enough, Yeonjung can pass the flashdrive to Luda and escape to the back where Eunseo is without being caught. Both managers turn to watch Luda as she goes in the office and closes the door behind her.

Now’s the time. He stands up and approaches the two Starship-hired staff, ignoring Hyungwon and Hoseok’s eyes on him. “Thank you for the meal,” he says as the door opens. “It was great.” Yeonjung steps out and silently makes her way to the back. “Really appreciate that you went and bought fresh ingredients for me.” Luda steps out. “Can I have the check please?” She closes the door as Seungchan gets out of his seat to go to the cash register.

He walks back to his table and is handed the check. He gives his card and writes down a 50% tip because he feels bad for the Starship-hired staff. They’re only doing what the company tells them to do and now they have to deal with subterfuge right under their noses.

The hand-off is a bit difficult because as he approaches Luda, four pairs of eyes focus on him. He stands in front of her with an awkward smile, she much shorter and smaller than him. Changkyun admits, it must be a pretty picture, him with dark-colored hair and clothes, her in soft-blonde hair in the bright uniform for  _Friendship Station_.

They can’t just hand the flashdrive over, that’s too obvious. Carefully, he leans in so that they’re face to face. From an outsider’s perspective it looks intimate, far too intimate for two people who are just friends. Mentally, he apologizes to Hoseok and Hyungwon before leaning further down to whisper in her ear “Put it in my back pocket. I’m going to kiss you on the cheek.”

She nods imperceptibly. He pulls back and gives a soft kiss on her cheek, her make-up hiding the rising blush that stains her ears. Carefully, he wraps his arms in a warm hug and feels her arms slowly encircle his waist and a small hand slip the flashdrive into his back pocket. They step back, both looking bashful. Out loud, he says “I’ll see you around?” He mouths out  _Thank you_.

Luda nods.

Quietly, as he turns to leave, he hears one of the managers say, “Yeah, he’s been coming here for a few weeks now. Been getting real close to the employees here. Do you know him?”

He reminds himself that it’s not heartbreak when he hears Hyungwon’s reply, slow but cold, like it means much more than a lie to cover his identity. “No, I don’t.”

The door chimes behind him.

 

\-- --

 

Kihyun has been staring at Changkyun for the last thirty minutes while he stirs the broth for the lunch rush. To be fair, Changkyun has been sitting slouched over with his hands covering his eyes for the past hour so he has right to be concerned.

“Hey, you okay?”

Changkyun looks up wearily. His eyes are dry by now, he spent the last few hours trying not to cry, but they’re still a little red and sore. He sees Kihyun’s sympathetic expression and turns away, not wanting to be reminded of yesterday’s events.

“Is it about Hoseok-hyung and Hyungwon?” Changkyun bitterly nods, upset and resigned to his fate.

He tells Kihyun the story, voice flat and dull because it’s the only way he can keep it from wavering with unshed tears (if there are any left to shed). He starts with when he returns to  _Monbebe Ramen_ to return the flashdrive with the records for  _Friendship Station_. In response to this, Kihyun frowns when he realizes that Hyunwoo and Changkyun worked secretly on this rather than involved them. He mutters something about having words with Hyunwoo but Changkyun is too out of it to hear it clearly.

Then he continues, Hyungwon and Hoseok don’t return for the dinner shift. He waits for them only to find out from Hyunwoo that they called in sick. His heart feels heavier because he knows it’s because they want to avoid him. He gets a ride back from Hyunwoo that night because of the rain and even stuffed in a car with the four other men doesn’t lighten his mood.

Kihyun comes over and pats Changkyun’s back gently, soothingly. His voice is soft as he speaks. “You were doing what you thought was best. They’ll come around. They love you.”

“How do you know that?” Changkyun says miserably, looking up with doubt in his eyes. “In all the months we’ve been dating, they’ve never said they loved me.”

There’s a knowing smile on Kihyun’s face. “Maybe not to  _you_ ,” he says, “but Hoseok-hyung is terrible at keeping secrets, especially to me.”

“You’re just nosy,” Changkyun mutters only to be met with a strong hand gripping his neck. He winces and cries out his surrender before Kihyun lets him go. “Are you sure?” The slightest bit of hope rises on his face before he remembers the expressions on their face and his face crumbles. “It doesn’t matter if they did. They don’t know. I messed everything up.”

Kihyun hesitates and that makes Changkyun feel even worse. He rushes to say something when Changkyun hunches in on himself further. “Yes, it looks bad, but I’m sure you had reason.” He pauses. “You know, if this had been anyone else, I would be on their side. But I know you, Changkyun. And I know that you’re a good kid who’s heart is in the right place and that you would never ever purposely do something to hurt them.”

“But I hurt them anyways.”

“Look, I’m not your mom. I can’t tell you what to do.”

Changkyun sighs and looks down to the floor. “I know,” he says softly and he can barely hear it himself. This is his punishment, he thinks, for a crime he did not mean to commit.

Warm arms wrap around him and he’s pulled into a bony shoulder. “You’ll figure it out,” Kihyun says and Changkyun sighs, resting his head in the crook of Kihyun’s shoulder. A few tears leak out his eyes and he blinks them out, trying to hold it in. “It’s okay, it’s okay,” Kihyun hums, patting his shoulder rhythmically like he’s a baby. “It’s too early to cry now.”

“Who’s crying?”

Changkyun quickly wipes away the drying tear tracks and plasters on a fake smile, hoping Hyungwon has forgotten his contacts for the day so that he can’t see the redness in Changkyun’s eyes. “No one, hyung,” he says, voice a little wobbly.

Hyungwon looks at him but doesn’t say anything and the smile falters on Changkyun’s face. It hurts so he diverts his eyes and stands up, walking past Hyungwon who’s standing in the doorway and holding the doors open.

He turns around and says “Hyungwon-hyung, I’m so-” but the door swings shut and Changkyun’s words are lost to the void of silence that remains, -”rry.”

Slowly, he turns around and makes his way to the front to help prepare for opening. It doesn’t prepare him to see Hoseok walking around with his hands full of decorations, setting the tables for the theme of the day. Jooheon hands Changkyun some utensils to set the tables but his eyes are focused on Hoseok. Changkyun doesn’t say anything, only walks closer and waits for Hoseok to notice him.

Hoseok brushes past him, ignoring him, and Changkyun stumbles, the chopsticks and spoon set falling to the floor with a clatter. He bends down to pick them up and when he stands back up, the office door shuts with a  _bang!_ and Hoseok is nowhere to be seen. Changkyun feels lost, standing in the middle of the tables like a lone island in the ocean.

“Hey, you okay?” Jooheon says, coming up behind Changkyun.

A lie almost makes its way through Changkyun’s teeth but he stops himself. He sighs and looks forlornly at the office door where Hoseok is behind. It seems that all the doors are closing on him.

Minhyuk comes up and wraps him in a hug, bringing one hand to pull Changkyun’s hand into his shoulder. He stands there and lets Minhyuk baby him, his other hand rubbing his back in circles. “It’s okay, baby,” Minhyuk says, cooing gently, “they’ll come around.”

“Yeah, just give them some time. You were just helping Hyunwoo-hyung.” Jooheon pats his head as Minhyuk lets go.

Changkyun tries to fix his hair before he stops and looks at them with suspicion. “How do you guys know?”

Minhyuk shrugs. “Kihyun told us.”

“But I literally just told him-- you know what, never mind. This is why Hyunwoo-hyung wanted to keep it a secret.”

Minhyuk pouts at that. “Hyunwoo-hyung underestimates our abilities. We would have at least disguised ourselves. We’ve still got those wigs from the drama theme we did.”

Changkyun opens his mouth to respond but decides not to. He feels a little lighter, knowing that the secret he was keeping is now out in the open. But he frowns. If Hyungwon and Hoseok know, why are they treating him like this?

Before his mind can wander into darker places, Jooheon lays an arm around his shoulder and pulls him towards the bucket of utensils. “C’mon, it’s almost time for opening.”

  
  


Changkyun’s mood darkens with the sky. The entire day, Hoseok and Hyungwon refuse to talk to him and whenever he tries to initiate conversation, they brush him off or he’s interrupted by a customer or one of the other employees. Night falls and they’re closing up, the outside as bleak as Changkyun’s mood.

Hyungwon and Hoseok are putting stuff away in the back and Changkyun slows down, hoping to wait to see them. Jooheon and Hyunwoo put the last chair and Hyunwoo turns to Changkyun. “Hey, we’re almost done here.We’re about to head out. Are you going to wait for Hoseok and Hyungwon?”

Changkyun stares at the kitchen door, hoping that Hyungwon or Hoseok will appear but it’s still and doesn’t show any sign of moving any time soon. He sighs and looks at Hyunwoo. He shakes his head. “I think they’re still mad at me. I’ll just walk home.”

Hyunwoo nods. “I’m sorry that this caused trouble for you.” He looks apologetic and Changkyun knows that if he had known this would happen, Hyunwoo would have never asked him. He’s only doing what he believes is best for the restaurant and Changkyun had agreed as well. He feels no resentment for Hyunwoo, only regret that he doesn’t know how to fix things.

Changkyun shakes his head. “It's okay.” He sighs and looks between the kitchen door and the front door. “I think I'll just head out.”

“Go on ahead then,” Hyunwoo says. “It's already dark and you're walking so I would feel better if you left as soon as possible.”

“Alright. See ya,” Changkyun says with a soft smile, voice small. He picks up his bag and leaves, the cool night air greeting him and the stars lighting his way back. For the first time in a long time, he walks back by himself.

  
  


It takes quite a bit longer than Changkyun anticipated to walk back to the university dorms, the sidewalks closed down for maintenance. He’s forced through some back alleyways and makes a few detours to avoid any non-well-lit areas. A part of him thinks that this is his fault for not telling Hyungwon and Hoseok the truth when he could. Another part misses them so much that it aches.

Finally, he arrives at the university, a little worse for wear. His shoelace is untied but that doesn’t really matter when his entire foot is wet from stepping in a puddle. There’s a stain on his shirt from bumping into a wall and he smells faintly of smoke and alcohol when he passed behind the club on a detour route. His phone is dead and he's just spent an extra twenty minutes more than planned getting back.

He frowns. It’s already been a terrible day and now it just seems like God is laughing at him. Changkyun huffs and makes his way to the gates. There’s a car in front, probably a student picking up a friend for some late night partying, so he attempts to climb up the curb.

Attempts is the key word. He puts one foot up, only to realize his other foot is holding down the loose shoelace, which causes him to lose his balance. Changkyun holds his arms out and closes his eyes, bracing for the impact, but a strong grip wraps around his arm and stops him from falling.

Changkyun looks up and Hoseok is there, Hyungwon a little ways off watching. There’s a tight expression on Hoseok’s face, like it pains him to touch Changkyun.

“Hyungs. What are you doing here?” Changkyun asks, nervously awaiting their reply.

Hoseok stares at him, expression unreadable and Changkyun wants to squirm away, doesn’t like the meanings he can’t decipher from the look on his face. He looks over to Hyungwon who has a similar expression, usually unfocused eyes now  sharp and clear and Changkyun feels like he’s being put on display, like they’re scanning over every part of him. It almost makes him sad that he’s not in perfect condition because maybe then would they want him back. Changkyun looks down, unable to meet their gazes anymore.

Hoseok sighs and the grip around Changkyun’s arm loosens. “Hey, I think we need to talk.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I meant to post this earlier but I hadn't finished writing and I felt uncomfortable posting too quickly after the recent tragedy.
> 
> But I've finally finished writing so expect weekly updates from now on! Thank you for leaving kudos and comments. I appreciate your interest. See you next week!


	4. Chapter 4: Hoseok and Hyungwon, again

“Do you think we're being too hard on him? It's Changkyun. You know he'd never do something like this,” Hyungwon asks as they sit in the kitchen.

Hoseok sighs. “I know but we saw it with our own two eyes. And you heard what Hongshikie-hyung said.” Hoseok remembers that clearly, remembers how those words made his blood run cold,  _ yeah, the kid’s a total player, flirting with all the staff here, looks like one has finally fallen to his charms _ .

The Changkyun he knows is so awkward and shy that he finds it hard to believe. Changkyun cringes when they make him act cute and he looks ill the moments he or someone else says something greasy. There’s no way Changkyun is a player. But he remembers that he has only known Changkyun for a little less than a year. He thinks back to how Changkyun had leaned down and kissed the waitress, the long hug they shared where the girl had felt comfortable enough to rest her hands on Changkyun’s butt. It spoke to something more than friendship and Hoseok feels uncomfortable thinking about it.

Hyungwon goes silent and they sit there, ruminating. Hoseok stands up with a huff, tired from the long day of work and battling the urge to cry every time he sees Changkyun. They walk out to see Hyunwoo, Kihyun, Minhyuk, and Jooheon starting to head out. Hoseok’s eyes furrow when he realizes someone is missing.

“Where’s Changkyun?” he asks.

Hyunwoo looks up with a confused expression. “He went home,” he says simply, with a shrug. “Thought you guys were too upset with him to give him a ride back.”

Hoseok frowns, now more upset than he already was. “And you let him go? By himself? At night?”

Hyunwoo stares at Hoseok silently, like he’s trying to read what Hoseok is thinking but all Hoseok can think is  _ fuck fuck fuck fuck _ . “Changkyun’s not a kid, Hoseok,” the taller says quietly, “you can trust him.”

It feels like Hoseok is frozen. Hyungwon’s gentle poke brings him back to reality. “He’s right,” Hyungwon says but Hoseok can only feel the slight tremble in his own fingers. He clenches them shut and tries to clear his head. Changkyun is in his last year of college, he can handle himself, he reminds himself. He knows he’s being irrational, that he needs to stop feeling like he has to baby Changkyun who’s no longer a kid. There’s a bitter thought that goes along with it. Changkyun’s old enough to knowingly cheat on them too.

“When did he leave?”

“Just now,” Jooheon pipes up. “He went on ahead but we’re all leaving too.” One by one, they exit the restaurant while Hoseok watches, still processing.

Hoseok stands there for a moment, trying to clear his head. Hyungwon’s hand is as soft on his shoulder as his voice in his hears when he says, “We should go, hyung.”

Hyunwoo pops back in as they’re picking up their bags. “Oh, Hoseok, I got the last piece of data from the Starship restaurants.”

“That’s good,” Hoseok says. At least something is going right.

“Yeah,” hums Hyunwoo, “Changkyun helped me a lot.” And sometimes Hoseok wonders if Hyunwoo likes to mess with him because he leaves without any other explanation. Before he can call out to him to ask what Hyunwoo means, Hyunwoo is gone and the lights have flickered off leaving Hoseok and Hyungwon with only the faint street light to see.

He turns to Hyungwon, who looks thoughtful, like he’s trying to decipher what exactly Hyunwoo means. “Let’s go. Changkyun’s probably still walking to his dorm, We can probably catch up to him.”

Hoseok keeps his eyes peeled out for a lone boy walking on the streets at night even as he drives. He immediately notices the ‘sidewalk closed’ sign and something in his chest tightens with anxiety. They approach the university without any sight of Changkyun.

If he wasn’t panicking before, he’s certainly panicking now. Hyungwon taps his arm gently. “Calm down, he probably had to detour. He’ll be here soon.”

“You’re right. Like Hyunwoo said, we should trust him. He’s not a kid.” Even as he says those words, it feels wrong. Hoseok frowns. Even after everything, he still feels the need to protect Changkyun, to keep him safe from the world’s evils. He’s not sure what that means.

Hoseok scrolls through his phone while they wait. There’s a text from Minhyuk, a text from Kihyun, and a voicemail from Jooheon. He reads the texts.

_ Stop being mean to Changkyun. He’s really sad. He was just helping Hyunwoo-hyung _ , is Minhyuk’s text, filled with angry face emojis and sad face emojis.

Kihyun’s is short.  _ Stop being an idiot _ .

Jooheon’s voicemail, bless the boy, he’s an angel, explains the situation a little better, how Hyunwoo asked Changkyun to collect the records from  _ Friendship Station _ because Starship staff were not allowed to give it to anyone from  _ Monbebe Ramen _ . Hoseok vaguely remembers Hongshik reminding him that they can’t give them the records. He also remembers Hyunwoo’s relieved smile when he came in the next day because he was finally able to get the missing data for the Starship restaurants.

Hoseok turns to Hyungwon who must have gotten similar messages. “What do we do?” he asks, staring at the empty road behind them in the rearview mirror.

“We need to talk it out. Let’s just wait until he comes.”

They wait. And wait. And wait. After ten minutes, when Changkyun should arrive, even with a detour, Hoseok tries calling his cellphone but it goes straight to voicemail. Hyungwon tries next but gets the same result. Almost thirty minutes and thirty more calls go by and Hoseok feels like crying. He just might already be.

Beyond the fear and worry, it feels a lot like regret. Regret for ignoring Changkyun, for not taking the time to listen to him because of his own hurt heart. Regret for not making sure that Changkyun knew that no matter what, even if he had cheated and played with their hearts, Hoseok would always care for him and want him to be safe. Hyungwon reaches his hand over to grab Hoseok’s, and the slight pressure as he rubs his thumb against the back of Hoseok’s hand is only a little comforting.

In the rearview mirror, a figure approaches and Hoseok’s heart skips a beat. It’s too dark to tell who it is, as he has found out from the last few figures, which have included drunk college kids and passing late-night joggers. But this figure, Hoseok knows with his eyes closed.

He gets out of the car to see if the figure is who he really thinks it is. His heart beats loudly, painfully. All he can see is a head of dark hair and the white collared dress shirt that is  _ Monbebe Ramen’s _ uniform. The figure approaches and he frowns because Changkyun looks like a mess, dirt staining his shirt and face, shoelaces untied, and one pant leg dripping wet. He crinkles his nose at the smell of alcohol and smoke. Did Changkyun go out and get wasted? Is that why he’s only showing up now?

Before he can call Changkyun’s name, Changkyun steps up onto the curb and trips. Hoseok’s heart deafens him as he moves to catch Changkyun from face planting into the ground. It takes everything not to pull Changkyun into a tight hug and keep him locked up and safe forever.

“Hyungs. What are you doing here?” It’s almost painful, how loud his heart is beating as he scans Changkyun’s face. His eyes, though a little red, are clear and aware. There doesn’t seem to be any injuries and Hoseok sighs in relief.

Hyungwon comes over and scans Changkyun too. The boy looks nervous, fidgeting under their combined stares. He looks away from them and Hoseok’s heart squeezes in his chest till it suffocates him and he lets out a sigh.

“Hey, I think we need to talk.”

Changkyun’s eyes widen, like a deer in the headlights and in a small voice, he asks, “Are you breaking up with me?”

Hoseok shakes his head. Behind Changkyun, another round of rowdy drunk college students make their way to the gate and Hoseok frowns. It’s not the right place for the conversation they’re about to have. He looks down to where he’s still got a firm grip on Changkyun before he lets go slowly and steps back.

“Can we go up to your dorm?”

This time Changkyun adds apologetic to his already nervous expression. “Sorry, my roommate is in right now.”

Hoseok sighs in frustration but immediately moves to rectify his actions when he sees Changkyun flinch back. “You don’t have class tomorrow, right?” Changkyun shakes his head and this time Hoseok sighs in relief. “Go get some clothes for the night. Come over to our place.”

There’s a moment of hesitation and Hoseok feels his heart squeeze when he looks at the conflicting emotions on Changkyun’s face. “Okay,” he says softly, and then he’s gone.

Hoseok turns to Hyungwon. “Do you think he’ll come back?”

“He will,” Hyungwon says and Hoseok finds that he believes him. They stand next to each other in the cool night air and wait. For now, that’s all they can do.

 

\-- --

 

The last time Hyungwon had seen Changkyun lay in their bed was the day before he moved back into the dorms. But now, Changkyun’s sleeping, curled around a stuffed animal, the soft bunny that Hoseok bought as a gift for Hyungwon on a date. He sniffles a little in his sleep and Hyungwon leans over to pat Changkyun’s cheeks quietly.

“Hey,” he whispers, “go brush your teeth before you go to sleep.” 

“Huh? Hyung?” Changkyun mumbles, rubbing at his eyes. They’re still a little red from all the crying he did while they had their talk. He yawns and a his eyes water, a spare tear clinging to his eyelashes making Changkyun’s eyes look watery and innocent. 

Hyungwon brings his hand to Changkyun’s face and uses his thumb to wipe it off and Changkyun sighs, resting his cheek against Hyungwon’s hand, his eyes slipping shut again. “Hey, go. We’ll be here when you get back.”

Reluctantly, Changkyun stands up and drags his feet to the bathroom. Hyungwon flops on the bed where Changkyun laid and inhales, smelling the warm scent that is Changkyun.

“Can I join?”

Hyungwon looks up and Hoseok smiles down at him. Hoseok’s eyes are a little red as well, his nose bright pink from crying. Wordlessly, Hyungwon gives room for Hoseok and finds himself with an armful for the man, who has also trapped Hyungwon in his arms.

“Hey, we’re okay,” Hyungwon whispers, quietly, listening to the faint sounds of water falling into the sink as Changkyun brushes his teeth. The door is closed but Hyungwon can imagine him sleepily moving the toothbrush (luckily Hyungwon and Hoseok kept his old toothbrush from when Changkyun lived with them) back and forth. “We’re okay,” he repeats, to make it clearer for himself, “we’re okay.”

The bathroom door opens and Hyungwon’s heart clenches at the sight of Changkyun in the doorway, the light dispersing around him, giving him the aura of a hero coming into battle. He turns off the light and makes his way to the empty bed. It’s dark so Hyungwon can’t see Changkyun’s face but even so, he knows it must look sullen.

He clears his throat but Hoseok speaks instead. “Changkyun, come here,” he orders, slowing extracting himself from Hyungwon and moving the bed covers around. Changkyun takes his place and Hoseok, instead of moving to the other bed, climbs back in, pressing his chest against Changkyun’s back. It’s a tight fit for three grown men but they make it work, legs tangled together and bodies perfectly aligned. Hyungwon looks down and sees Changkyun looking at him with hesitation in his eyes.

“What’s wrong?” he says quietly.

Changkyun fidgets a little, still trapped neatly in Hoseok’s arms and legs entangled in a mess at the bottom. The youngest mumbles something and Hyungwon leans in closer until Changkyun’s lips are almost pressed against his ear. “Can I kiss you?”

Hyungwon leans back, surprised. “You don’t have to ask,” he says. “We talked about this.”

“I know, but-” Changkyun says, diverting his eyes.

“But?” Hyungwon prompts, leaning in closer. He would smile if this had been any other conversation.

“Are we really okay?” Changkyun asks instead and Hyungwon knows that that’s the question Changkyun really wanted to ask.

“Hoseok-hyung,” Hyungwon says impatiently. From behind Changkyun, a head of blond hair jolts to awareness, arms tightening around the youngest forcing out a soft squeaking sound from him. “Are  _ we _ okay?”

“Yeah?” Hoseok says questionly, “of course we are. Changkyun had his reasons and he did what was best for the restaurant. Changkyun, that was really brave and selfless of you. I still need to talk to Hyunwoo about that but we understand, Changkyun. Trust us, we do.” Hoseok leaves soft kisses on the exposed skin of the back of Changkyun’s neck. The youngest shivers, likely sensitive in that area, and Hyungwon finds himself with an armful of Changkyun, Changkyun pressing in closer until there’s barely any space between their bodies. Hyungwon sighs, trying to clear the daze in his head.

“Hyung,” Changkyun whispers quietly, “I’m going to kiss you now.”

Hyungwon closes his eyes and soft lips press against his own. It’s soft, chaste, and Changkyun pulls back before Hyungwon can even start to kiss back. His cheeks are red and he bites his lip nervously, Hyungwon’s eyes drawn to the small but full lips trapped under Changkyun’s teeth. His eyes flicker between Changkyun’s averted eyes and his lips.

Before he can even say anything, Changkyun squeaks out a quick, “Goodnight, hyung!” and closes his eyes, turning around so that his face is squished into Hoseok’s muscular chest instead. Hyungwon watches as Hoseok coos quietly, bringing one hand to thread through Changkyun’s hair and stroke his head, whispering soft words that carry to wear Hyungwon lays, watching as Changkyun’s breaths slowly even out. 

Hoseok whispers, not wanting to wake Changkyun up, the boy exhausted from the emotional ordeal that he has just experienced, “I wish we had listened to him.” Those words are accompanied by a gentle comb through of hair with fingers. Hyungwon reaches over and joins Hoseok in petting Changkyun and running his long fingers through dark black hair like silk. Changkyun sighs and buries himself closer into Hoseok’s chest, arms wrapped around Hoseok like he’s a giant teddy bear.

“He doesn’t blame us,” Hyungwon reminds, not liking to linger on the past. “He understands.” 

Hyungwon scoots in, reaching over so that his arms wrap around both Hoseok and Changkyun. Changkyun’s stranglehold on Hoseok loosens and he leans back against Hyungwon. And to the warmth of Changkyun pressed against him and the quiet sounds of three people’s breathing, Hyungwon falls asleep.

 

\-- --

 

“We got extra time,” Hyunwoo announces the moment Hoseok steps into  _ Monbebe Ramen _ . Hoseok frowns and looks at him with confusion.

“What do you mean?”

Hyunwoo smiles at him, almost serenely, and Hoseok returns it, feeling the relief that has settled over Hyunwoo. He chuckles when Hoseok gives him a confused look. “Remember how Changkyun helped me get  _ Friendship Station _ ’s records?” Hoseok nods, still not understanding what Hyunwoo is saying. “From what I know about Starship’s profit dividends, we’re selling better than  _ Star1 Cafe _ in terms of overall profits.” Hyunwoo pauses, not used to speaking so much.

“So is that why we get extra time?” Hoseok asks. “Cause we’re doing well? Are they agreeing to let us stay here?”

Hyunwoo shakes his head. “We’re doing well but there’s still some more things we have to do before we can prove that we’re doing well enough that we don’t have to move.”

“Then why...” Hoseok says, trailing off in confusion.

“ _ Best Friend Udon _ is revamping their place so they’ve moved in temporarily to the place Starship wanted us to move to. Their volume of business is a lower so it’s an easier move for them.”

This time when Hoseok smiles with relief, he understands why. “That’s great! How did that happen?”

“Thank Jooheon,” Hyunwoo says, “he convinced the guys from  _ Best Friend Udon _ that they needed to keep up with the times, try something new since their old model wasn’t keeping up with all the new restaurants coming out.”

Hoseok busies himself with pulling down chairs as they talk, Hyunwoo walking around to turn on all the lights and prepare for the day. He hums lightly, thinking about what Hyunwoo has said. It feels almost impossible. “Why did Starship agree to this?”

There’s a momentary pause, the silence filled in with the shuffle of chairs and the clinking sounds of a tray of silverware being set down. “If  _ Best Friend Udon _ closes, Starship is going to lose a lot money because they invested quite a bit in them, so the revamping is really their last chance.”

“But if the revamping doesn’t work, they’ll just lose more money.”

There’s a hum and Hoseok turns to see Hyunwoo stretch his arms. He looks tired but content and Hoseok is almost envious on how Hyunwoo takes everything that happens in stride so easily. He supposes that’s why Hyunwoo became manager instead of him. “Just take it as a small miracle for now,” he says. “We make the most profit for them so they’re not willing to put a stop to the money just yet.”

Hoseok nods to that. He pulls down a couple chairs and sets them around the table as Hyunwoo begins to count the money in the register. As he waits for Hyunwoo to finish, he again attempts to put all the pieces together because when he looks closely, he knows that Hyunwoo cannot handle this alone, that he’s divulging this information because he feels like he needs the help.

“What about  _ Ponyo’s Pot _ ?” Hoseok asks again, watching Hyunwoo’s reaction carefully. He smiles slightly when Hyunwoo relaxes, coming down from the almost unnoticeable tenseness that was hidden in the broadness of his shoulders.

Hyunwoo shrugs. “They’re a food truck so I think they’re testing different locations first. Kihyun told me that he saw them near our apartment a few days ago.”

“That’s good,” Hoseok says.

“Says the food’s really good,” Hyunwoo muses.

“Better than Kihyun’s?” Hoseok asks, one eyebrow raised. Kihyun’s ramen is so good that Hoseok once proposed to Kihyun before when he and Hyungwon were still in their ambiguous friendship/relationship stage. He was sadly rejected but Kihyun made him a bowl of ramen in apology. He doubts that there can be anyone that cooks better than Kihyun.

“Don’t know,” Hyunwoo shrugs. “It’s a matter of personal preference, I think. But,” he adds, stretching his back and rolling his shoulders, “I didn’t get to try it.” He looks mildly upset at that and Hoseok smiles at Hyunwoo’s disgruntled expression. 

Before he can say something, the door chimes and, speak of the devil and he shall appear, Kihyun walks in. “Hello,” he greets. He rummages through his bag for something before he opens the manager’s office and tosses his bag in like he owns the place.

“Where’s Minhyuk and Jooheon?” Hyunwoo asks, looking at the door like he’s expecting the two to come bursting in.

Kihyun shrugs, chewing at a protein bar. “They’re on that errand you told them to do before you left.” He stops chewing and looks pointedly at Hyunwoo. “Did you even eat breakfast?”

Hyunwoo’s growling stomach answers that for him. “I did,” he defends, “but I got here early to look over some papers.”

“Here,” Kihyun grumbles, holding out the half-eaten protein bar. Hyunwoo easily accepts and finishes it in two bites. “Were you able to get the other records?”

Hyunwoo nods but doesn’t make eye contact, instead looks away, and Hoseok eyes him curiously. He swallows before he explains, “The records that Changkyun got need to be compared with other popular cafes in the area so I was calling around to see if I could get help.”

“Were you able to?” Hoseok questions.

“It’s going to take some time,” admits Hyunwoo, “but we have extra time now, so it should be okay.”

“How long are we looking at?” Kihyun asks, settling in a chair between the two older men. “Jeongmin told me renovations wouldn’t take long since Starship isn’t willing to pool too much money into  _ Best Friend Udon _ .”

Hyunwoo hesitates and seems to wilt under Kihyun and Hoseok’s scrutiny. Hoseok looks at Hyunwoo expectantly, waiting for his reply.

“We get till the end of the year.”

There’s a sigh, like the tension that has penetrated through the room has been released. “So, they’re still thinking about moving us,” Kihyun murmurs. “And right before we get our largest wave of customers too.”

“It just gives us more time to convince them not to move us,” Hoseok insists, trying to be optimistic. He turns to Hyunwoo for support but Hyunwoo only nods along like he’s not really paying attention.

Kihyun sighs. “We’ve got our work cut out for us,” and Hyunwoo grunts in agreement. “I’m going to start preparing the broth,” Kihyun says and leaves with a wave of his fingers.

When Hoseok turns to Hyunwoo, Hyunwoo is sitting down, a distant expression on his face. He can’t tell what the older is thinking and he resigns himself to finish setting up the tables by himself while he waits for Minhyuk and Jooheon to arrive from whatever errand Hyunwoo has sent them on. Hyungwon and Changkyun aren’t due until the afternoon before the lunch rush because Changkyun has classes and Hoseok has made sure that someone is there to walk with him to the store.

He’s halfway through the tables when he hears a shuffling sound and he sees Hyunwoo turn towards him. “Hey,” the taller says, eyes still lost in thought, “is everything okay now?”

“What do you mean?” Hoseok asks, setting down the silverware he’s holding in his hands. Hyunwoo doesn’t seem to hear him so he steps closer until he’s right in front of him. “Are you okay?”

It takes a moment but Hyunwoo snaps out his daze. Up close, it’s easier to see the dark circles that line Hyunwoo’s eyes, the slump in his shoulders that could be confused for being relaxed but really signifies exhaustion, and the sallow look on his face. He hasn’t been eating well, Hoseok realizes, and this is Hyunwoo, someone who rivals him in the eating department. Hoseok frowns, not liking this development and upset with himself for not noticing earlier. He’s the assistant manager! He should have noticed long before it got to this point.

Hyunwoo shakes his head quickly, probably trying to shake off the disorientation. “I’ll be fine,” he waves Hoseok off, who is reaching over in case Hyunwoo collapses. “I stayed up too late last night, that’s it. I’ll just take a nap before Minhyuk and Jooheon arrive.”

“Are you sure?” Hoseok says hesitantly. The Hyunwoo now is almost a sharp contrast from the Hyunwoo earlier in the morning and he can see how the lack of sleep has taken its toll on the man. “We’re here if you need help.”

Hyunwoo smiles back, a lazy, kind smile that reassures Hoseok if only just a little bit. “I know,” he hums, slowly pushing himself up from his chair. Before he walks into his office, he turns. “You know, you never did answer my question.”

“Is everything okay now?”

“Yeah.”

“Uh… I guess?” Hyunwoo frowns at Hoseok’s answer and Hoseok hurriedly backtracks to figure out what Hyunwoo is saying. “Oh, you mean between Changkyun, Hyungwon, and me?” This time, Hyunwoo nods at that and Hoseok sighs in relief. “Yeah, it’s good. We’ve worked it out. I was meaning to talk to you about that.”

“Later,” Hyunwoo dismisses, already starting to rub at his eyes. “Sorry about all the problems. You guys are good though, right?”

Hoseok smiles fondly at the taller man, his eyes drooping, heavy with sleep. “Yeah, we’ll be fine.” And if Hyunwoo doesn’t catch what Hoseok really means, it’s okay because the sentiment holds true anyways.

 

\-- --

 

No one has ever told Hyungwon how hard it would be to be in a polyamorous relationship. He wishes someone did. But then again, he thinks, he would probably end up in the same place anyways: under a tree watching Hoseok and Changkyun fight in the middle of the university square.

“I told you, I’m not a kid! You can’t keep doing this!” Changkyun says, the anger in his voice barely restrained. His fists are clenched and there’s murder in his eyes.

Hoseok, more prone to louder outbursts, shouts back, “I’m just trying to help!” It attracts the stares of other college students wandering around, who quickly go on their way. A little ways off, Hyungwon can hear some girls whisper about his boyfriends.

With a huff, he stands up and makes his way over to the two, wincing as the sunlight hits his eyes. “Let’s take this somewhere else,” he suggests, looking sharply at some of the people that have stopped to watch them.

“Hyung, it’s fine,” Changkyun says, brushing Hyungwon’s hand from his shoulder. It stings a little, Hyungwon admits, but Hyungwon does not let it affect him. “Hoseok-hyung is just being irrational.”

Hoseok sputters in disbelief and Hyungwon turns to him, Hoseok going red in the face with indignation. “I’m not being  _ irrational _ ,” he emphasizes, “I’m looking out for you.”

“And I told you,” Changkyun replies, eyes sharp and voice cold, “I’m not a kid, you don’t  _ have  _ to.”

“Hyungwon,” they both turn to complain and Hyungwon sighs, rubbing his forehead. He can already feel a headache coming.

“Let’s talk about this elsewhere,” he says and walks away, ignoring the whispers that surround them. The two follow behind him like seething lost puppies and Hyungwon sighs, not really able to stay mad with them no matter how hard he tries.

They walk in silence until they reach an old alcove, a secret study place that Hyungwon and Hoseok once used when they were university students. He turns to them and frowns, not liking the way the two refuse to look at each other. “Okay, talk.”

No one starts. Hyungwon watches as Changkyun fidgets where he stands, not meeting his eyes but looking like he wants to burst out at the seams. He turns to Hoseok who has a similar expression but unlike Changkyun, makes eye contact with him. Hyungwon holds Hoseok’s stare for a few moments before Hoseok blurts out, “Changkyun is being irrational.”

There’s a sharp inhale from the other side of Hyungwon, an offended gasp, and Hyungwon rolls his eyes, knowing that another fight is about to break out.

“ _ I’m _ not being irrational,” Changkyun proclaims, gesturing to himself, “Hoseok-hyung is!”

Hoseok opens his mouth to argue but Hyungwon cuts him off. “What are you two talking about?” No one answers him. “Is this about the  _ V.I.P  _ thing?” He takes the ensuing silence as his answer.

The truth is, he already has an idea of what the argument is over, this is just another round of confirmation for him. He’s seen how strung up Hoseok has been the past few days, how much touchier he is with their maknae to the point that Changkyun has blatantly asked for space. Hyungwon blames Hyunwoo.

He blames Hyunwoo because Hyunwoo is the one asking Changkyun to go back to the  _ V.I.P _ , only a few months after the horrific ordeal that Changkyun had gone through at the very club. But Hyunwoo isn’t solely at fault, he reminds himself. Changkyun also agreed, which is why they are in their current predicament.

By all means, it’s a quick and easy task, albeit a necessary one. Go in, have a few drinks, and meet up with an informant that has data on the restaurants that  _ Monbebe Ramen _ doesn’t have any contacts with, mostly more established high-class restaurants frequented by only the wealthiest of patrons, located in the dubbed Big Three section of the university town. It’s nothing to worry about.

The informant is actually Jooheon’s friend from  _ Inner Circle Bar _ , but Hyunwoo has Jooheon, Minhyuk, and Kihyun, known people-persons, outside of the university town hoping to make connections with the other owners in that area to collect more needed records to create a fully fleshed out argument that moving would not improve sales. They spend most of the time they’re not at work driving back and forth and talking with the other restaurant owners. While those three are away, Hyunwoo, Hoseok, and Hyungwon are needed to run the shop. That leaves Changkyun.

If the meeting had been at  _ Inner Circle Bar _ , a place known for its public-friendliness, Hyungwon would be more comfortable with it. But they can’t risk having any leaks tie back to either of them so the  _ V.I.P _ it is, with its large but generally uncaring crowd. It’s perfect for covert operations like this. But that doesn’t mean that Hyungwon is comfortable with sending Changkyun alone.

And by the looks of it, neither is Hoseok, except Hoseok is much more vocal about it. Maybe a little too vocal.

Hoseok huffs and looks away, not pleased with being called out. “It’s more than that,” he insists, fists clenched to control his anger.

“No, it’s not,” Changkyun bites back, no longer holding his tongue, and Hyungwon sighs when Hoseok whirls around with fire in his eyes.

“This is more than just you going to the  _ V.I.P _ alone!” Hoseok explodes. “I’m trying to protect you!”

“No, it’s exactly that,” Changkyun yells back. “If this had been anywhere else, you wouldn’t have cared!”

“You’re putting words in my mouth,” Hoseok shouts, face turning red. “Don’t you remember what happened there? Do you want it to happen again?”

Changkyun goes silent, almost eerily so and Hoseok turns pale. He’s crossed a line, Hyungwon knows, but how far, he’s not sure.

“No, I don’t remember what happened,” Changkyun spits out, venom lacing his voice, low and quiet. “but that was one mistake and it was okay in the end.”

Hoseoks bursts out, “That’s because we were there! You almost got hurt! How can we know that you won’t make the same mistake twice?” The moment he says that, Hoseok’s mouth snaps shut, the faux pas easy to tell even to a complete stranger.

Changkyun’s head is bent down, bangs covering his eyes. “I see,” he murmurs and his tone of voice makes a shiver go through Hyungwon. “You don’t trust me,” he concludes and when he looks up, his eyes are dull, empty,  _ cold _ . Hyungwon hates it.

“That’s not it,” Hoseok protests, but his voice weakens and trails off, caught. “I just want you to be safe,” he pleads. “Minho even agreed to move the meeting,” he tries to reason but it sounds weak, even to Hyungwon’s ears.

“Fine,” Changkyun says, voice flat. Hoseok flinches at the monotone and reaches out to grab Changkyun but Changkyun brushes him off. “Do what you want. It’s not like I have finals to study for, projects to finish, not like I wanted to have a say in the things I do anyways,” he huffs with a wry laugh. “Don’t,” he warns, when Hoseok tries to reach for him again. Changkyun walks away and leaves the two behind, the once sunny alcove now cold and dark with the weight of his words.

Hoseok turns to Hyungwon and looks at him with pleading eyes. “You understand, right?”

Hyungwon does but he also knows that Hoseok has overstepped his bounds, has let his own feelings get in the way of understanding Changkyun’s. He nods but doesn’t say anything more, just follows after Changkyun.

He sees Changkyun waiting for them at the streetwalk, eyes trained on his phone. Hyungwon walks over and places his hand on Changkyun’s head. The shorter jumps and turns around, closing whatever was on his screen. “You okay?” he asks, petting Changkyun’s hair gently in a way he knows is relaxing for the younger.

Somehow, Changkyun musters up a smile. “Yeah,” he says, but he still feels distant.

“You sure?” he murmurs, taking his hand away from his head and reaching for Changkyun’s hands.

It’s quiet for a moment but a soft “yeah” is heard and Hyungwon relaxes. They’re okay for now. Together, they wait for Hoseok to catch up and Changkyun, ever so kind, offers his free hand to Hoseok, who takes it relieved. Hyungwon allows himself to believe that nothing is wrong.

 

Of course, knowing Changkyun, Hyungwon should not have believed that.

“What do you mean he’s gone? Where did he go?” Hoseok bellows from outside. Hyungwon is stuck in the kitchen trying to clean but it’s taking longer because Kihyun had left earlier with Minhyuk and Jooheon to go visit the late night restaurants outside of the university town.

Hyunwoo’s voice is low and drawling so it makes it difficult to hear from a distance. But Hyungwon doesn’t even need to have his glasses on or his contacts in to notice that there’s one less person than there should be. One less person with significantly less muscle mass than the two out in front. Ignoring the pile of dishes in the sink, he steps out so that he can hear the conversation better.

Hoseok sounds frantic now so Hyungwon turns his attention to the older and listens in. “What do you mean he went to the  _ V.I.P _ ? Minho rescheduled the meeting, he promised me.”

“Something came up,” Hyunwoo says placatingly. “I texted Changkyun earlier this afternoon and he said it was fine.”

Hyunwoo is lucky that people cannot be murdered with glares otherwise he would be dead ten times over from the way Hoseok is shooting lasers at him. Hyunwoo is also lucky that he’s fairly oblivious to certain things, such as Hoseok’s overbearing nature.

“When did he leave?”

Hyunwoo hums and looks thoughtful. “Probably a little after dinner rush started.” It explains why the two didn’t notice Changkyun’s disappearance, dinner rush usually a busy time on its own with all seven employees working. Down to just Hoseok and Hyunwoo as waiters and Hyungwon as sole cook, there was simply no time to notice Changkyun slipping out and into the night.

“We have to go get him,” Hoseok says, making to take off his apron, but Hyunwoo stops him, a large hand wrapping around Hoseok’s wrist.

“There’s still an hour till closing,” and Hoseok pauses and takes a look at the empty shop, only one student sitting in the corner, engrossed in her textbooks with a bowl of ramen she’s been nursing for the past hour.

Before he can say anything, the door chimes and Hyunwoo lets go of Hoseok’s wrist and turns away to greet the customer. It’s a regular, the grandma that usually visits Jooheon in the afternoons. Hoseok sighs and steps back and Hyungwon takes that as his cue to go back to the kitchen. Luckily, most of the food is premade, the broth brewed early in the morning and the noodles resting in a basket ready to be served.

He doesn’t have to do much which means he can keep an eye out for Hoseok while Hyunwoo is busy serving and greeting her. As he stirs the broth, he can hear Hoseok shuffle up behind him. Without looking up, he says, “Where are you going?”

He doesn’t need to turn to know that Hoseok freezes in place. “Hyungwon,” he whines, “we have to go.”

Hyungwon sighs and turns to look at Hoseok with a neutral expression. “Do we have to?” he questions rhetorically. And Hoseok deflates, shoulders slumping as he sags in the chair next to him.

“No,” he mumbles, almost inaudibly. 

Hyungwon hums in reply, scooping out a ladle full of broth. “Here, go give this to Grandma Kim,” he says, handing him the bowl. Hoseok sighs and shuffles off, ramen in hand, but Hyungwon knows that a smile will be plastered on his face when he greets their regular. Hyungwon collapses in the chair Hoseok has just vacated and stares at the ceiling, trying to organize his thoughts.

A part of him wants to get up and chase after Changkyun, never wants to relive those terrifying moments again. But another part of him scolds the other half for thinking that way. Changkyun is an adult, as young as he is, and has done nothing to indicate that he can’t be trusted alone. Hyungwon breathes out and tilts his head back, letting those thoughts soothe his worries.

He cracks one eye open when a heavy body settles near him to see Hyunwoo slouched over in the chair next to him. “What’s up?” he asks, sitting up to look at the older.

“Hoseok’s making me worry,” Hyunwoo says and Hyungwon frowns at the admission. Hyunwoo rarely worries, which means Hoseok must be really freaking out about Changkyun.

“It’s fine,” Hyungwon dismisses. “Changkyun’s a big kid, he can handle himself.”

Hyunwoo hesitates. “I know that. I’m actually more worried about Hoseok.”

“Hoseok’s,” Hyungwon pauses, not sure what to say. “Hoseok-hyung is a little too protective over Changkyun.”

“And you’re not?” Hyunwoo asks, an eyebrow raised.

“I am,” Hyungwon admits, “but I trust Changkyun.” Hyunwoo hums in response, leaning his head back and closing his eyes. 

The door to the kitchen swings open and Hoseok appears behind it, carrying an empty bowl. Hyunwoo excuses himself and Hyungwon watches as Hoseok takes his place. He pats Hoseok’s knee gently, hoping to calm Hoseok down. The chimes of the bells on the door ring following Hyunwoo’s quiet “see you tomorrow”.

“Do you think I’m being irrational?” Hoseok asks, not making eye contact with Hyungwon.

Hyungwon hesitates. “A little.”

Hoseok sighs, head bent in defeat. “You’re right,” he says, tilting his head back to look up at the ceiling. “But I can’t help it. My head just keeps coming up with all these scenarios and it freaks me out. I think I need help.”

Threading his fingers through Hoseok’s hair, Hyungwon hums. “How about this?” he says, watching as Hoseok looks at him curiously. “After closing, we’ll go to the  _ V.I.P _ and check to see if Changkyun is okay.”

Hoseok’s eyes sparkle at that. “Can we?” Hyungwon nods in affirmation, feeling immense fondness for the childish happiness Hoseok emits. Hoseok relaxes, resting his head on Hyungwon’s shoulder. They sit like that, in comfortable silence, until the door chimes and another customer walks in.

 

\-- --

 

As they make their way through the crowd, Hyungwon squeezes Hoseok’s arm, unable to see clearly without his glasses. They’re still in uniform, a white dress shirt and slacks, not really clubbing material but they try the best they can. They roll up their sleeves and unbutton a few buttons, while Hyungwon removes his large round glasses. Unfortunately, Hoseok knows this means that Hyungwon is going in blind since he does not have contacts.

The bass is pounding and the lights flashing, which makes it difficult to search for Changkyun. Hoseok isn’t even sure what Changkyun is wearing, whether he has on his  _ Monbebe Ramen _ uniform like them or if he’s changed into more club-appropriate attire. The crowd pulses around them, the dark club illuminated by strobing lights just barely enough to make their way through the mass of people dancing.

They manage to get to a quieter area, a small booth in the corner of the club. “Do you see him?” Hyungwon asks, rubbing his eyes and trying to clear his vision. He pulls his glasses from his pocket and blinks, large eyes fluttering behind the wide frames.

There’s a beat of silence has Hoseok tries to peer over the mass of writhing bodies before he sits back down and frowns. “It’s hard to see anything.”

“Maybe he already left?” Hyungwon suggests and to be honest, Hoseok prefers that scenario, prefers that Changkyun is out of the club and safely on his way back to  _ Monbebe Ramen _ .

“I could try tracking his phone,” Hoseok says, pulling out his and going to Changkyun’s number. He looks up to find Hyungwon staring at him with disapproval. “What?” he says, feeling the heat rise up in his face. “He shared his location with me and forgot to turn it off.”

Hyungwon rolls his eyes but gives him the go ahead signal and Hoseok quickly pulls up the tracker on his phone. It says Changkyun’s still in the club so unless he lost his phone, they should be able to find him.

Next to him, Hyungwon fidgets in his seat as Hoseok scrolls through his phone, and Hoseok looks at him curiously. “Maybe we shouldn’t be here,” he says and Hoseok is taken aback by the statement, not sure how to respond.

“What do you mean?”

“Changkyun got mad at you for a reason.”

Hoseok flinches because he can still remember the anger in Changkyun’s eyes, the tight set of his pursed lips. He looks around helplessly and feels impossibly small. “You’re right,” he whispers and even in the loud club setting, it feels terrifyingly loud. “How do you do it?”

“Do what?” Hyungwon asks, confused.

“Let him go.” It sounds wrong in Hoseok’s head and he knows he’s not making sense but he doesn’t know how to explain it. Doesn’t know how to explain that a part of him is always going to see Changkyun as someone that he has to protect, that he has to keep safe so that he can stay by their side forever, so that no one can take him away from them.

Hyungwon’s eyebrows furrow. “I don’t. But Changkyun’s his own person and sometimes he just… slips away. And we just have to trust that he’ll come back to us, you know? Just be there to support him if he needs it.”

“Yeah.” Hoseok sighs and runs a hand through his hair. “Yah, when did you get so smart?” Hoseok teases and lets Hyungwon’s mock scoff of indignation soothe his frayed nerves. Hoseok’s always put emotions over logic and that doesn’t always fit with Changkyun’s independent nature. “Let’s get a drink and go,” he says, rubbing his palms on his pants before standing up and holding his hand out to Hyungwon.

Deftly, Hyungwon pulls the keys from Hoseok’s pockets and leads the way, Hoseok trailing behind with a small smile on his face. As they wait for the bartender, Hoseok brings their hands up and places a kiss on Hyungwon’s palm. “Thanks,” he murmurs, warm skin against his lips. Hyungwon squeezes his hands tightly and turns back to order Hoseok his usual.

Hoseok sighs, closing his eyes and letting his heartbeat match the pounding bass, Hyungwon’s hand warm in his. Hyungwon hums along with the song playing, a fun rap song, jostling his hand as he moves with the beat.

The bartender returns with a bottle of soju and a shot glass. Hoseok pours one out and looks over to Hyungwon. “You’re not going to drink?” he asks. Hyungwon shakes his head. With a shrug, Hoseok knocks back a shot and winces at the sting. After a few more, things start to become blurry. “I think it’s time to go,” he slurs out, tipsy.

Hyungwon rolls his eyes. “This is why I didn’t drink. Come on, you lightweight.”

It’s easy to let Hyungwon pull him up and away, the world blurry around Hoseok. He stumbles a little and bumps into something, someone maybe, and something cold splashes against him. It smells like alcohol and he winces at the feeling.

He looks up and there’s a man in front of him looking down at him with a murderous glare. His own white shirt is stained with a few splotches of pink, easily removed with some bleach and a good washing, but the other man has a large stain that spreads across his chest and abdomen, his thin white shirt soaked in pink liquid and revealing a heavyset build underneath.

“Woah, man, sorry,” he says, letting go of Hyungwon’s hand and reaching out to rub at the man’s shirt, hoping to make the stain go away. It doesn’t work.

“Watch where you’re going, punk,” the man growls and Hoseok wrinkles his nose at the intense smell of alcohol that leaks off the man’s breath. That seems to frustrate the man more because he grabs Hoseok by the shirt collar and pulls him in. “You think you’re funny?”

Hoseok’s not drunk enough to be reckless and he quickly cowers, trying to defuse the situation. “No, no,” he says, pulling at the man’s hands on his shirt. He’s probably stronger than the man but the other is drunk and he doesn’t want to hurt him.

Another hand grabs the man’s wrist and rips his hand off Hoseok. “He said sorry,” Hyungwon says lowly, dropping the man’s hand like it’s trash. The man’s face goes red, letting go of Hoseok’s shirt to turn towards Hyungwon, and Hoseok subtly steps in between him and Hyungwon, not liking where this is going. He regrets drinking that last shot because if the man starts swinging, Hoseok is going to go down like a pile of bricks.

“Alright, break it up,” a familiar voice says and Hoseok turns to see Changkyun standing off to the side, glaring at the taller man. Changkyun’s dressed in clubbing clothes, a loose navy button down that shimmers under the lights and a fitted blazer that emphasizes the broadness of his shoulders. 

The man turns away from them to leer at Changkyun and slurs out, “What you going to do about it?” Hoseok’s heart lurches in his chest and only Hyungwon’s hand stops him from rushing up to punch the man in the face.

Changkyun shrugs, nonchalant, and Hoseok is one step away from just grabbing the boy and running like his life depends on it. Even as the other man drunkenly stumbles towards Changkyun, the younger holds his ground, not looking afraid at all. Hoseok’s heart creeps up his throat.

But before anyone can do anything, the bartender appears. “Looks like you’ve had enough,” he tells the man. “Leave before I call the cops.” The bouncer stands menacingly behind him and the other man retreats with a scoff, mutters of inappropriate words under his breath. The bartender turns to Changkyun. “Sorry about that kid,” he tells him, scratching the back of his head sheepishly. “Thanks for the warning.”

Hoseok doesn’t have time to process everything going on before Changkyun is right in front of him, glaring at him. “Hyung, what were you thinking?” he complains, poking at his chest. “Are you stupid?”

Hoseok’s dumbfounded. “Sorry,” he apologizes, looking down to hide his eyes. Changkyun relaxes and steps back. He peeks through his bangs to see Changkyun’s exasperated but fond smile and his heart flutters in his chest.

“Well, if you’re here, you’re driving me back to  _ Monbebe Ramen _ ,” he says, leading them outside to the parking lot, and as always, Hoseok is pulled in Changkyun’s current, at a loss for words.

Except now there’s a few that he has to get out before it’s too late. “Wait, Changkyun, I’m-”

“Sorry,” Changkyun says with him. Hoseok freezes. “Sorry,” Changkyun repeats, “You guys were just looking out for me and I was really immature about it.”

Hoseok shakes his head, “No, it’s my fault. You’re right, you’re not a kid anymore. I’m just--”

“Obsessed? Paranoid? Crazy?”

“Overprotective,” he finishes, scowling at Changkyun’s teasing smile. “But I’m working on it. Just… give me some time?”

A relieved smile crosses Changkyun’s face. “Take all the time you need, hyung,” he murmurs and if Hoseok was a little more sober, he would kiss him right then and there. But he saves it for now, content to trail after Changkyun impatiently pushing Hyungwon towards the car.

Yeah, it’s fine, he thinks. They have all the time in the world.

 

\-- --

 

Has it really been a year since they’ve met Changkyun? Hyungwon looks at the cake in his hands, a decadent chocolate cake prepared to celebrate Changkyun’s first year with them. Have they celebrated every birthday together already? Every holiday? It’s hard to believe that a year feels so short.

They’ve pooled together their paychecks to buy decorations and little gifts for Changkyun. Hyungwon’s is in his pocket, a neat bow holding the small box and the letter he’s written together. He touches it carefully, feeling the velvet jewelry box underneath his fingers. The kitchen door opens.

Hyungwon jumps, pulling his hand from his pocket, only to see Kihyun with a gaudy party hat on his head and one in his hands. “No,” he says before Kihyun can say anything.

“Oh good,” Kihyun huffs, removing his. “Jooheon and Minhyuk almost blew through the budget on some of this stuff. I tried to tell them.”

“Why did we put them on decoration duty?” Hyungwon groans, rubbing his face. It’s past closing time and Hyungwon is tired. Hyunwoo, as a cover, has Changkyun and Hoseok out buying missing groceries for tomorrow that he conveniently forgot to buy the day before.

“Because apparently I’m a party pooper. But to be fair, remember when we donated to the zoo and you wrote a letter instead?”

“They liked it,” Hyungwon insists and Kihyun rolls his eyes. “I even sent the lemur onesie for the zookeepers.”

He’s not sure but he’s pretty sure that he hears Kihyun mutter something about not everyone being giant twigs. He ignores it, plopping down on the chair and feeling his pocket. Kihyun leaves the party hat behind and Hyungwon can hear the shrill complains as the scuffling that tells him Minhyuk has forced the hat on the shorter.

His phone dings.  _ On our way! :)  _ Hoseok texts. A few moments later, he receives a text from Changkyun.  _ Hoseok-hyung said to anticipate. Should I be worried? _

Hyungwon smiles down at the screen. Leave it to Hoseok to almost ruin the surprise. He should have gone instead. He texts back a simple  _ nah _ and laughs at the annoyed character stickers Changkyun sends. For a moment, he scrolls through old texts and smiles before he stands up and brushes himself off.

He leans over the open window and peers out. The shop is decorated with pink streamers and colorful rainbow confetti is scattered on the tables. A large bouquet of roses sits in a tall glass vase on one of the tables where paper party plates and plastic silverware are set out.

The other tables are minimally decorated, just streamers and confetti, to match the spring celebration theme for tomorrow. He knows there’s an order for dozens of rose bouquets to give out to their customers for tomorrow.

“Yo, they’re coming soon,” Hyungwon says, watching as Minhyuk perks up from where he’s busy trying to hang a banner that he’s made. Or rather that Hyunwoo is hanging while Minhyuk directs him. 

“Go get the cake then,” Minhyuk scolds. “A little lower, lower, alright, that’s good.”

Hyungwon scowls and turns back to pick up the cake. It’s not too heavy, only a small cake so they could each buy a gift for Changkyun. Unfortunately, this doesn’t mean it’s an easy task for Hyungwon. He almost trips over a stray streamer and almost faceplants into the cake if not for Jooheon’s quick hands. Luckily, he only faceplants into the floor and the cake is saved.

Kihyun, who’s by the window, yells, “They’re here,” and turns the lights off. 

The door opens and they yell  _ Surprise! _ as the lights flicker on, their voices drowned out by Hoseok’s shrill screams as a pile of streamers and glittery confetti rains down on him.

“Wow, great surprise, hyungs,” a droll voice says behind the cowering assistant manager, Changkyun sliding neatly between Hoseok and the door with a bag of groceries in his hand. Changkyun looks amused, even a little pleasantly surprised, but the knowing glint in his eyes tells Hyungwon that Changkyun already knew about their little surprise party.

Hoseok tears off the streamers piled on top of his head and scowls but it’s not at all menacing with the shimmery confetti stuck to his hair. “You could have warned me!” he complains. “Changkyun told me to go in first.”

Changkyun shrugs. “They left the bag of decorations under the staff table. Wasn’t hard to figure out.”

The anger dissipates from Hoseok’s face and he takes the bag from Changkyun’s hand. Minhyuk and Jooheon pull the youngest to the center table and sit him down on the chair stuffed with pillows. He sits with an  _ oomph _ and right across from him is the banner Minhyuk made.

“Congratulations on no longer being in debt!” Changkyun reads, a wry smile on his face. He looks at the vase on the table and asks, “Is this…?”

Kihyun grins and wraps an arm around Changkyun’s shoulders. “Yup, the vase you broke the very first day you came here. We finally paid off the last of the repair installments. Congratulations, Changkyun, you’re officially out of debt.”

“Is that it?” Changkyun asks, trailing off. “All this just to tell me I’m out of debt?”

Hoseok laughs and ruffles Changkyun’s hair. “Don’t you know what day it is?” Changkyun looks blankly at him. “It’s exactly one year since you’ve become an employee here!”

“Has it really?” Everyone nods at his confused look. “Wow, that vase really did cost a year’s worth of wages,” he mutters before he breaks into a smile. “Thank you. For this. For everything.”

Kihyun and Hoseok step away and Hyunwoo steps forward, holding a plain envelope, the ones they use for their paychecks. “Here,” he says, handing it over to Changkyun, who stands up to receive it.

“What’s it for?” Changkyun asks, holding it in his hands carefully. “Paychecks aren’t due till tomorrow.”

“To commemorate your one year anniversary with us, your first full paycheck,” Jooheon exclaims, waving his hands in the air for emphasis. Minhyuk joins in and Hyunwoo just looks at them with a quiet smile.

“Yeah, what he said,” he murmurs, before stepping back.

With quiet reverence, Changkyun slides his finger under the small flap and opens the envelope, the envelope tearing at the jerkiness. In the mess, he pulls out a check, one that Hyungwon has become intimately familiar with in all his time with  _ Monbebe Ramen _ . 

Changkyun’s eyes widen and he looks up at them with awe. “Hyungs, this… this is too much. Is this really my full paycheck?”

Hyunwoo nods and Changkyun gapes, shocked. Hyungwon has an idea why. For a year, Changkyun has gotten used to making almost a quarter of his actual paycheck to pay off his debt. This is much more money than he’s used to, likely only expecting twice as much.

“Congratulations, Changkyun,” he murmurs when Changkyun turns wide eyes towards him. He reaches out and Changkyun preens under his touch, hands still holding tightly onto the check.

“Thank you, hyungs,” he says quietly, a soft smile on his face.

“But that’s not all!” Minhyuk explains. “Sit, sit. It’s time for presents.”

“Presents? Isn’t that a little much?” Changkyun mumbles, finally forced to sit under the pressure of Minhyuk pushing him down into his chair.

“Of course not!” Minhyuk smiles. “I’ll go first.”

Hyungwon cuts in. “I’ll go last if that’s okay.” 

Minhyuk only smiles and shrugs then hands Changkyun his present, a messily wrapped box that when opened reveals a box of bath salts and a bath bomb. “Wow, hyung, thanks,” Changkyun mumbles, fumbling with the items.

“Invite me when you want to use them,” Minhyuk says with a lascivious wink and Changkyun groans, throwing the wadded wrapping paper at the waiter.

Jooheon goes next and presents Changkyun with a designer cap, one that Changkyun had seen on a customer a few weeks ago and commented on. Hyunwoo gives him a gift card redeemable at some of the restaurants in the area, a classic Hyunwoo gift. Kihyun, ever the mom, gifts him a pair of glasses (the round wire frames that are currently in style) and a sweater, sized a little big, just the way Changkyun likes it.

When Hoseok goes up, the mood shifts. Changkyun looks at him with anticipation and Hyungwon feels his heart thrum in his chest. He and Hoseok had planned their gifts to go together but he’s not sure how Changkyun will react.

Hoseok’s box is also a jewelry box, tied with a neat bow that matches the one on Hyungwon’s. Inside Hoseok’s though, is actually jewelry and although Hyungwon can’t see the accessory when Changkyun opens the box, he can imagine it in his mind’s eye, a short silver necklace, the two chains thin and light, a thin ring with a heart on it as a pendant.

“What?” Changkyun asks in awe, holding the tiny pendant in between his fingers. 

Hoseok nods, a soft smile on his face, before he pulls on the necklace around his own neck. It’s the same as Changkyun’s, a thin silver necklace that holds a promise ring. Changkyun turns to him and Hyungwon holds his hand up, the silver band around his left ring finger, and Changkyun chokes.

“Put it on,” Hoseok urges, and with shaky hands, Changkyun undoes the clasp of the necklace. Carefully, Hoseok takes it from him and Changkyuns bends his head down to let Hoseok put it on him. When the clasp closes shut, Changkyun lifts his head.

The necklace looks ethereal on Changkyun, the ring hanging in the hollow of his neck, the necklace short and fitted like a loose choker. It highlights the graceful line of his neck and Hyungwon wants to leave kisses down it until that pale skin is marked with red. He holds that thought for another time.

Hyungwon’s pocket feels heavy as he steps up towards Changkyun, who’s entranced with the ring on his neck. His eyes draw towards Hyungwon and Hyungwon fishes for the box in his pocket. Hyungwon can feel the sweat on his hands and discretely wipes one down the side of his pants.

“Another necklace?” Changkyun jokes, reaching for the box. He opens it and freezes, mouth open in shock. “Isn’t this…?” he trails off.

“Yeah,” Hyungwon nods, a small smile playing on his lips.

“What is it?” Minhyuk asks curiously, peering over from where he’s resting his head on Hyunwoo’s shoulder.

Changkyun speaks quietly, voice gentle and fond. “The key I used when I lived with them.” He blinks then tilts his head. “But why?”

“Think of it as an early graduation present,” Hyungwon says. “Use it after you graduate.”

The crease between Changkyun’s eyebrows deepens. “What?”

“So you don’t have to live with your friend afterwards,” Hyungwon tries again but Changkyun just looks lost.

Kihyun huffs. “They’re asking you to move in with them, oh my god, Changkyun,” he calls out, his frustration being taken out on Hyunwoo’s shoulders, Hyunwoo wincing at the harsh ministrations and Minhyuk ignoring the hand squeezing his head rest.

“Oh,” mumbles Changkyun and he looks down at the box. Hyungwon can’t see his face, Changkyun’s bangs obscuring his eyes but the tips of his ears burn red and the corners of his lips threaten to pull up, twitching with restrained glee. “Thanks,” he says lamely, looking up. Hyungwon doesn’t question it, knows the bright burning blush across Changkyun’s face is confirmation enough. They meet eyes and there’s no words that need to be said.

“Okay,” Kihyun cuts in, “let’s eat the cake.” In front of him, Hyunwoo nods his head vigorously, in total agreement. The party continues as the night draws on. Changkyun turns away from Hyungwon and returns to their friends, a quiet chuckle as he listens to Minhyuk’s story about the two kids from the daycare down the road that snuck in to play with him. 

Hyungwon looks at the night sky, the stars scattered like glitter on an inky black background. Hoseok sits next to him and leans over, resting a hand on his thigh and his head on Hyungwon’s shoulder. For a moment, Hyungwon allows himself this. Allows himself the quiet feeling of contentment, Hoseok’s presence warm and steady, the gentle sound of Changkyun’s soft laughter lingering in his ears.

The clock on the wall ticks slowly by.

 

\-- --

 

Hoseok smiles and laughs a lot but he tends to be a serious person when it all comes down to it. At 2:00 in the morning, he clicks out of his browser and the few spreadsheets he has open and shuts down his laptop, rubbing the sleep from his eyes before crawling into bed where Hyungwon is fast asleep. 

There’s a message on his phone, from an hour ago, Changkyun’s reminder text to  _ Go to sleep! _ that really doesn’t say much because Hoseok can see the little green dot on his phone that tells him Changkyun is still awake.

_ Look who’s talking _ , he sends back and settles down to wait for Changkyun’s reply. Hyungwon shuffles a little and rolls over, soft incomprehensible sounds spilling out of his lips. Hoseok lets out a wry smile, adjusting the brightness on his phone so that it doesn’t illuminate the room.

_ I don’t know what you’re talking about, hyung _ , Changkyun texts back. He sends a sticker with the character’s head tilted and a question mark popping up. Hoseok rolls his eyes, fondly but a little exasperatedly. Leave it to Changkyun to be a little shit.

Hyungwon lets out a particularly loud, strangled sound that startles Hoseok, who looks over at the taller with apprehension only for more mumbling sounds to follow as Hyungwon readjusts his position in his sleep. Hoseok frowns, knowing that the sleep-talking gets particularly bad when they’re stressed. It’s not something they can control, not with their heads stuck out waiting to be chopped onto a platter. Not when Hoseok himself has not had a good rest in the past few weeks either.

_ Go to sleep, brat _ , he texts Changkyun.

_ You too _ , is Changkyun’s short and snarky reply. Even through the messenger, Hoseok can hear Changkyun’s voice, low and quiet, all sass and fire, but still concerned and gentle. A part of him aches for Changkyun, the stress of the  _ Monbebe Ramen _ situation not helping the longing for Changkyun’s comforting presence.

He taps out a  _ Goodnight, Changkyun _ and receives a  _ goodnight hyung. _ He waits for the green dot to disappear before he turns off his phone and wraps himself around Hyungwon.

That night, he dreams of numbers. He awakes with a gasp, shirt sticking to his sweaty body. Wrinkling, his nose, he pulls at the drenched shirt, grimacing at the dampness before he peels it off his skin and throws it aside, sighing at the cool air that brushes over his bare chest. The clock on the nightstand reads an innocent 3:51AM in bright red digits. 

Carefully, he stumbles out of bed, pulling out the charger from his laptop to take it into the living room, where he sets it on the couch so he can brew a cup of tea. It’s not ideal, the watery tea a meager substitute for neither coffee nor sleeping pills. Hoseok debates hightailing it out of the apartment to pick up some cheap cans of coffee from  _ KissMe Convenience Store _ but decides against it.

He rubs his eyes wearily, the mug of tea set on the table in front of him as he pulls his laptop onto his lap. His mind full, Hoseok clicks through the spreadsheets and does more calculations, thoughts racing around his head until morning rises and someone knocks on the door.

It’s almost 8:00AM, Hoseok notices when he checks the clock at the bottom of the screen.  _ Monbebe Ramen _ doesn’t open for another two hours today but Hoseok can already feel the beginnings of a pounding headache spreading through the back of his head. The day hasn’t even started, not fully at least, and Hoseok already knows that it’ll be a long one.

The knocking starts again and Hoseok debates ignoring it and aiming to catch one last hour of sleep. He can feel his eyelids drooping and the thought of bed sounds pleasant after pulling another restless all-nighter.

His eyes shoot open when he hears the click of the lock and the door knob turning. Hoseok peers over the couch to see a heavy backpack backing in. He blinks and Changkyun appears, the backpack attached to his shoulders and his hair messy, expression disgruntled.

“Changkyun?” he says slowly, blinking a few more times, wondering if the apparition in front of him is a fever dream.

“Oh, hyung,” Changkyun says, surprised, dropping the textbook in his hand on the table where it causes the decorations to wobble precariously, “you’re awake.” He frowns. “Why are you awake?”

“Why are  _ you _ awake?” Hoseok shoots back, rubbing at his eyes. He feels much more alert now. With a yawn, he stretches his arm above his head and stands up, turning to greet the younger.

Changkyun’s face goes red and his eyes widen. “Hyung!” he squeaks, hands covering his eyes.

Hoseok laughs teasingly, walking towards the younger and pulling his hands away, threading their hands together. “Why so shy? It's nothing you haven't seen before.”

The blush on Changkyun’s face still burns bright even as he manages to look straight into Hoseok’s eyes. “It's not, but,” he says flustered, but then his eyes latch on to something on Hoseok’s face and he pauses, pulling his hand away from Hoseok’s grip and reaching thin, soft fingers to the dark eye bags that must line Hoseok’s eyes and that seem much darker on Hoseok’s pale face.

Unbidden, Hoseok’s eyes close at Changkyun’s gentle touch and he takes his free hand to wrap it around Changkyun’s. Changkyun’s thumb rubs slowly over Hoseok’s cheek and Hoseok sighs, leaning his head towards Changkyun’s small hand.

“Hyung,” he says quietly, “did you not sleep?”

Hoseok thinks about lying but he knows what little good that does him, not when Changkyun is as astute as he is. “I got a little,” he settles on and Changkyun sighs. “I’m okay,” he murmurs, bringing Changkyun’s hand down from his face and drawing it closer so he can leave a kiss on the back of it. He cracks a small smile when Changkyun cringes. “But what are you doing here? Don’t you have class?”

“Cancelled,” Changkyun says simply, returning a small smile back. He rubs at his eyes. “Didn’t feel like going back to my dorm when I was already dressed so came here instead. Thought that we could go to our shifts together. Is that okay?”

There’s really no reason for Changkyun’s anxious look because he should know that Hyungwon and Hoseok are always happy to have him over. So to that, Hoseok doesn’t respond and just drags him along until he’s sitting on the couch, the material rough against his back. Changkyun stands in front of him and lets his backpack down, moving to settle down in Hoseok’s lap.

However, he stops before he’s fully seated and instead slips under Hoseok’s arm to look at Hoseok’s laptop thrown haphazardly aside. At Hoseok’s insistent tug, he leans in closer so that he’s nestled against Hoseok’s side but his eyes are trained on the rows and rows of numbers in Hoseok’s spreadsheets that he’s spent countless sleepless nights working on. He looks at Hoseok, a wordless question in his eyes.

“Expenditure sheets,” Hoseok answers to Changkyun’s unsaid question, pulling the laptop in his lap and wrapping one arm around Changkyun’s waist to click through the pages. “I contacted one of the Starship executives, Kim Hyungsoo, and he told me that Starship would reconsider the move if our total profit exceeds one billion.”

Changkyun’s eyes widen. “One billion? Won?” Hoseok nods grimly, adding a new column of numbers. “But that’s impossible,” Changkyun protests. “Most restaurants make only a few million at best.”

“Not exactly,” Hoseok murmurs, nudging the younger male to look at the numbers he’s typing in. “Our revenue just barely exceeds one billion for the year. I’ve been trying to calculate areas where we can cut to see if we can increase our profit margin but the options aren’t really… appealing. At least the ones that will work in time.”

“You put a lot of thought into this,” Changkyun says quietly, noting the formulas derived from all the data they’ve collected so far. 

Hoseok sighs and rubs at his eyes with his free hand. “The faster I get this done, the sooner we can figure out what we need to do. We only have a few more months, I think, to get where we need to be.”

Changkyun hums in acknowledgement. “Right. I graduate in two weeks, then there’s not much time after that.”

“That’s right,” Hoseok says, eyes brightening in realization. He sets his laptop to the side. “I can’t believe I forgot. I even have  _ Changkyun’s Move-In Date _ marked on all my calendars.”

“ _ Changkyun’s Move-In Date _ ? Not  _ Changkyun’s Graduation _ ?” he teases, raising one eyebrow. He moves a little so that he’s caging Hoseok in, arms braced against the back of the chair behind Hoseok’s shoulders and knees braced into the couch.

“That’s important too,” Hoseok concedes, hands settling on Changkyun’s hips, pulling him down so that Changkyun is properly sitting in his lap, arms wrapped around his neck instead of against the back of the couch. “But you’re the most important.” Changkyun’s complaints at the utter cheesiness of Hoseok’s words are cut off by Hoseok pressing kisses onto Changkyun’s open mouth, Changkyun’s hands tightening almost imperceptibly on Hoseok’s bare shoulders.

Hoseok pulls back and rests his forehead against Changkyun’s. The shorter meets his gaze with his own unwavering stare. Hoseok leans in again, closing his eyes and hoping to meet slightly swollen lips once more when the alarm clocks blares, the ringing echoing and loud, causing Hoseok to startle and pull back.

“Someone needs to go wake up Hyungwon-hyung,” Changkyun says a little breathlessly. He looks down at Hoseok’s half-naked state. “You know what? I’ll do it. Go shower and get some coffee, hyung. If you’re one boyfriend short, you know what’s happened to me.”

“Don’t die,” Hoseok says, brushing a thumb over Changkyun’s cheek with a teasing grin.

“That’s not up to me to decide.” Hoseok snorts at Changkyun’s reply because if anything, Changkyun is the only person that can wake up Hyungwon without the taller attempting murder. Hoseok would know, he’s lived with the man and has had to wake him up for years now and even after acquiring boyfriend status, he cannot escape Hyungwon’s wrath. Every morning is a treacherous one but Hoseok loves Hyungwon anyways.

 

\-- --

 

It’s hard, Hyungwon thinks, to be so close but so far away. His hand twitches by his side and he stills it, trying to focus on what Hoseok is saying but it’s so hard. He’s heard the presentation before, has talked through with it with Hoseok to understand what sacrifices would be feasible and what sacrifices would be effective and why those sacrifices didn’t have any common ground. But knowing the truth makes him restless and Changkyun’s hand is right there.

He reaches for it but Changkyun moves his hand down to grab a snack from the inside of his bag and Hyungwon’s hand falls flat. Quietly, he pulls it back while Changkyun rifles through his bag, his face blank as he listens to Hoseok talk.

Hyungwon tunes back in when Hoseok coughs and flips the page in his lengthy speech. He’s bored because he’s heard it all before, so much that he could say the speech himself verbatim, but he understands how important this meeting is, possibly making the difference between success and bankruptcy. Hoseok has spent months on this proposal, hashing out every detail and trying to find better and better alternatives.The others must know too because they pay attention with rapt focus, not a hint of boredom or lostness from even the playful Minhyuk.

“I don’t know what else we can do,” Hoseok admits and Hyungwon snaps back to attention. Oh. He must have zoned out again.

“You did your best, Hoseok-ah,” Hyunwoo says. The older sounds weary and he looks like he’s contemplating something deeply, the way his lips are pursed tightly. “There’s just not much we can do. You found more options than I did,” he sighs, rubbing at his eyes where dark bags hang heavily.

“But none of them are any good,” Hoseok argues.

“They’re not,” Hyunwoo agrees, looking down at the table in front of him, before he looks Hoseok in the eye with sad determination, “but we don’t really have a choice, do we?”

And even Hyungwon knows the answer to that question. They’re fighting a war and he knows that all of them would rather go down fighting than admit defeat.

“It won’t be forever,” Minhyuk tries. “Once Starship gives up, we can go back to how things used to be.” 

Kihyun nods next to him. “I’m willing to take a cut from my salary if that means we can keep the restaurant here.”

“It's not just a cut,” Hoseok warns. It's a helpless plea for understanding. They're all too stubborn to listen to him anyways. “We would be making less than minimum wage if we incorporate in all the changes we’d have to make.” He sighs. “We can't afford any screw ups. This plan means we can't even afford to lose a single penny.”

Kihyun cuts in. “It's going to be hard. We get that, Hoseok-hyung.”

“Yeah,” Minhyuk chimes in. “But we’re a team, aren't we? We know what we’re getting into.”

“Do you really? With how much we’re cutting, if Changkyun wasn’t living with us, Hyungwon and I wouldn’t be able to afford our current apartment. No employee meals until after everything has been sold or we close for the day. Extended working hours. No overly extravagant themes that we have to buy things for. No mistakes,  _ at all _ . I only managed to budget in enough for one minor mistake a day. It’s going to be hell on earth, you don’t know how much I need you to understand what’s going to happen.” Hoseok huffs, out of breath from his crescendoing rant.

“It sounds… bad,” Kihyun hesitates before his eyes steel with determination, “but there are worse things. Losing  _ Monbebe Ramen _ is one of those things.”

Hoseok looks resigned but Hyungwon can make out the faint spark in his eye that speaks to hope. To the idea that maybe things will be okay, to the idea that they’ll make this work. They have to.

He startles when a small hand slowly pulls at his own and intertwines their fingers, lacing them together. He looks down at the hand and traces it down the arm and up to Changkyun’s face, nonchalant and almost innocently unaware. Changkyun is watching Hoseok but his thumb rubs gentle circles along the back of Hyungwon’s hand. The tension in Hyungwon’s shoulder melts away and he smiles slowly.

With a gentle squeeze, Hyungwon just catches the faint tug at the corner of Changkyun’s lips before he turns back to where Hoseok is finishing his mini existential crisis.

Hyunwoo, who had been silent during Hoseok’s outburst, speaks up. “Does anyone have any problems with Hoseok’s plan?” He sighs and rubs at the bridge of his nose when Hoseok raises his hand. “Not you, Hoseok. You can’t have a problem with your own plan.” Hoseok lowers his hand with a pout.

No one says anything. They only stare at each other as if daring the other to raise their objections. Hyunwoo grunts in affirmation, as he looks at them. “No objections then.” He hums, trying to find the right words to say. “Hoseok, it seems like the sooner we start, the sooner we finish.”

“Tomorrow is the last day of the cycle,” Kihyun says. “We could start today-”

Hoseok cuts him off. “No,” he says firmly. “I know this is too sudden so I planned it to start with the next pay cycle.” His shoulders droop and his head hangs. “This will be your last full paycheck.”

Jooheon nods in agreement. “Hoseok-hyung is right. It’d be impossible to suddenly cut our salaries to almost nothing and survive if we have nothing saved up. This should be enough to get us through the next two months. Hopefully.”

There is nothing left for Hyungwon to comment on, not that he wants to anyways, but he makes his sounds of approval, followed by a quiet  _ I agree _ from Changkyun.

It’s quiet after that. Even the general hustle and bustle to close shop is replaced with precise and almost soundless movements, everyone tired from the long day. Hyunwoo sends them off with a wave and retreats to his office to do last minute preparations for the upcoming two months.

Back at the apartment, Hyungwon finds himself enveloped in warmth on both sides, Changkyun tightly snuggled against his right and Hoseok draped lazily on his left. The summer months have long left and the autumn chill has begun to settle in. He sighs, feeling Hoseok restlessly shift beside him. “We’ll be fine, hyung,” he says into the dark.

Changkyun rolls a little sideways and Hyungwon reaches an arm out to settle under his waist to stop him from rolling off their shared bed. It will be sore in the morning with Changkyun’s weight on top of it, but he doesn’t mind.

“Go to sleep, hyungs,” Changkyun murmurs, voice slurred and heavy with sleep.

Hyungwon waits until both men at his side settle down, until both their breathing turns slow and even, before he closes his eyes. “We’ll get through this together,” he finishes before he lets sleep take him away.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Years! We've finally reached the penultimate chapter. Thanks for being with me till now. 
> 
> I'm currently working on another fic right now (it's showki with kid!jookyun) but I probably won't finish it by the time I have to return to school. Would you guys prefer if I finished it first and uploaded regularly (like I did with mitsfs) or if I upload the first one or two chapters now and post randomly whenever I finish a chapter? School's supposed to be a lot tougher this semester so there's no guarantee that I'll be able to post anything until the summer, heck maybe not even until next winter. Let me know in the comments or @wingenuine on tumblr.


	5. Chapter 5: All Together, finally

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The last chapter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: mild smut

The first month goes as expected, which is to say, not good. 

To be fair, Changkyun’s always been a bit of a pessimist. Hoseok tells him that he should try to look at the bright side of things but Hoseok can’t talk. Changkyun can count on one hand on how many times  _ Hoseok _ has been optimistic.

Changkyun’s in the back helping Jooheon with the dishes, when Hoseok pokes his head in. “Hey, Grandma Kim just came in.”

“Cool, thanks,” Jooheon says, pulling his hands from the murky water in the sink and patting them dry on his apron. “Hey, you got this?” he asks Changkyun, who waves him off with a soapy hand.

In the mindless stream of cleaning the dishes while trying to conserve water, Changkyun almost doesn’t feel Hoseok roll up his sleeves to join him, not until another pair of arms plunge into the cold, dirty water and takes the plate from his hands that have begun to prune.

Changkyun sighs gratefully. It’s only a little after the lunch rush and the dishes have piled high and the customers keep trickling in. Tired from the lunch rush, Changkyun had retreated to help Jooheon with the dishes only to be overwhelmed with the ever growing pile as customers make their way in.

“How’s it going?” Hoseok asks as he scrubs at the bowls and puts them on the drying rack. The dishwasher whirs quietly along and Changkyun knows that once it’s finished, they’ll have to dry the dishes and load more in.

He sighs. “It’s going.”

“That bad?” Hoseok sympathizes and places another set of dishes on the drying rack. The dishwasher beeps and Changkyun pulls down the door and just stares at Hoseok with deadpan eyes. Hoseok winces. “I see.”

Changkyun cracks a small a grin. “It’s okay. It’s not too bad.” He immediately regrets saying that when Minhyuk waltzes in with a pile of bowls in his hand and stacks them on top of the already tall pile of unwashed dishes. The stack of bowls that he puts the dishes he’s dried keep getting smaller and the stack of dirty bowls keep getting taller.

“Sorry,” Hoseok apologizes, “we were planning to buy a new dishwasher but it’s not in our budget right now.”

“It’s fine,” Changkyun says with a small shrug, “it means we’re doing well. Lots more people coming in. You know. Buying more things.” He hands the last dish he dries to Kihyun who takes it without comment. It’s been a busy day, week even.

Hoseok smiles at that and agrees with him. His eyes stray towards the front and his face grows a pensive expression. “It’s getting busier, but is it enough?”

Changkyun hesitates, not sure how to answer. He knows that while business is steadily growing, even a little faster than Hoseok had anticipated, it still might not be enough. He settles with loading the dishwasher while he contemplates. But instead of him offering a plain  _ I don’t know _ , Kihyun answers for him.

“Are you still on this again? We’re doing fine.”

Hyungwon, from where he’s stirring another batch of broth for the dinner rush, grunts in agreement. Changkyun feels his lips tug up at the corners because he knows that Hyungwon is disgruntled, but secretly delighted, at the fact that every pot of broth he has made so far has not lasted till dinner time, that they’re needing to use more pots and pans to keep up with the demand than before.

“But  _ how _ fine,” Hoseok stresses and Changkyun wants to reach up and smooth the wrinkles that appears on Hoseok’s forehead. He closes the dishwasher and pushes the button, trying to resist the urge but Hoseok transfers that worry to scrubbing increasingly hard at the bowls and Changkyun decides to do exactly what he wanted to do.

He reaches up and rubs a soapy thumb against Hoseok’s forehead, choking back on laughter when Hoseok straightens up and looks at him with shock written all over his face. Foam sticks to his forehead and a little water drips down his nose. Changkyun quickly tries to steel his face in a neutral expression as Hoseok looks between him and the soapy water his hands are still in.

“I can’t believe you,” Hoseok says in disbelief, drawing his hands out of the water and reaching for Changkyun. “How could you do this to your hyung?” he questions with faux anger, attempting to pull Changkyun into a wet headlock.

Changkyun tries to get away but Hoseok manages to pull him by the collar of his dress shirt and into arms still soaked with dishwater. “Mercy!” Changkyun cries out as Hoseok squeezes him tight, trapping Changkyun in a wet, soapy hug.

He struggles to free himself but attempts to remain aware of the pile of dishes behind him. Hoseok must have the same thoughts because he’s pushed against the wall, far away from the dishes. On either side of his head are Hoseok’s arms.

Hoseok bends down, so that he’s eye level with Changkyun. “What do you have to say, Changkyun?” he asks, noses touching. There’s still bubbles on his forehead and his dark black hair, a byproduct of not being able to afford the bleach and dye to maintain his light violet hair color, brushes against Changkyun’s forehead.

Changkyun doesn’t say anything, only attempts a winning smile as he meets Hoseok’s eyes. Hoseok scoffs at his grin and gently butts their heads together. Changkyun whines in complaint but Hoseok’s soothing kiss on his forehead makes bright red run up to the tip of his ears.

They break apart when the dishwasher buzzes, signalling the end of its cycle. Kihyun scoffs from where he’s setting up more bowls to be served. “Back to work, love bugs. Go before you make me sick.” Hoseok leans down further so that his head is resting in the crook of Changkyun’s neck and Changkyun grimaces at the wet spot that his shirt will definitely have.

Hyungwon nods. “As much as I hate agreeing with Kihyun,” he says with a heavy sigh, “I agree.”

“Hyung!” Changkyun gasps, pretending to be scandalized. “How could you.” Hoseok snorts from where he still has Changkyun pushed against the wall before he stands up and turns to Hyungwon with a gleam in his eyes.

“No,” Hyungwon says with finality and turns away to Kihyun’s amusement from the shit-eating grin that spreads on his face. Hoseok rolls his eyes but acquiesces anyways. 

When they’re back in position, Changkyun drying the dishes and Hoseok scrubbing away at the dirty ones, Changkyun asks quietly, “Are you feeling better, Hoseok-hyung?”

It’s quiet for a moment and Changkyun bites his lip, worried that he’s opened a can of worms that should have stayed closed. He sneaks a glance over, where Hoseok still looks pensive. “I’m okay. I’m just worrying over nothing.”

“It’s not nothing,” Changkyun protests but he’s prevented from saying more when Jooheon walks back in, an empty bowl in hand. Hoseok takes that as his cue to leave and shortly waves his hand in farewell to go man the front with Hyunwoo and Minhyuk. Jooheon glances over and walks back out, saying something about finishing his conversation with Grandma Kim before she leaves, but Changkyun suspects that he wants to extend his break just a little longer.

Changkyun sighs, wishing that he could do something to make the others feel better. The month has been long and hard, with longer hours and only a smaller paycheck to make up for it. Even as  _ Monbebe Ramen _ gets busier, the sales are barely where they need to be and tensions remain high.

“Don’t worry about it,” Hyungwon says from behind him. He’s sitting down now, his chef apron laying haphazardly in a pile on the chair next to him. “Hoseok-hyung always gets worked up about these things. But that doesn’t mean you should too.”

“Yeah…” Changkyun trails off. “I guess.” He can’t help but turn to look out through the kitchen window to look at Hoseok. Hyungwon follows his gaze and hums.

“If you’re worried about Hoseok-hyung, I know exactly what will make him feel better.”

Changkyun looks at Hyungwon curiously, tilting his head in confusion. “Are we buying him a bowl of ramen? He’s probably craving it since he’s so stressed and now that he can’t have it whenever he wants.”

Hyungwon laughs softly and reaches to ruffle Changkyun’s hair. It makes Changkyun’s shoulders scrunch up and he groans because he cannot reach up to fix his hair with wet hands. When is Jooheon getting back?

“Better.”

“Better? What’s better than ramen to Hoseok-hyung?”

Hyungwon smiles like he’s holding on to an amusing secret. “You’ll see,” he says with a wink before he’s whisked away to fill more orders. Changkyun groans. Hyungwon is such a tease, he thinks, looking as the lanky cook easily fills the prepared bowls with the broth he’s been boiling and garnishing with sesame seeds and a dab of chili paste.

He turns back to the dishes and groans for another reason, the stack even higher than when he started helping Jooheon out. As he mindlessly begins unloading the dishwasher and loading the dishes in again, he lets his mind wonder.

What really is better than ramen?

  
  


The answer he finds out, he must admit, really is better than ramen.

“You want me to do what?” he asks Hyungwon, in shock. They’re in the bathroom together, preparing for bed. Hoseok is outside in the living room working on calculating the sales for the day and how far away they are from their goal. From the silence and occasional sighs, it doesn’t seem good.

“I mean, I can do it,” Hyungwon shrugs, “but I think Hoseok-hyung would like it more if it was you? I’m not… you know.”

“But, but,” stammers Changkyun, “I’ve never-” he cuts himself off, feeling the rising blush on his cheeks.

Hyungwon raises one eyebrow. “You’ve never? Ever? You?”

Changkyun flushes, not sure what Hyungwon is implying. “I mean, I can try. It’s just… you know.”

“If you’re not comfortable with it, we don’t have to do it,” Hyungwon says, turning to wash his face. “I don’t want you to do anything that you’re not okay with.”

“But Hoseok-hyung,” Changkyun trails off, looking at the bathroom door as if he’s able to see Hoseok through it.

“Hoseok-hyung wouldn’t want you to do anything you’re not comfortable with. It’d just make him more upset, you know that,” says Hyungwon, eyes trained on Changkyun. 

“I know,” Changkyun admits, looking down at the towel in his hands. His hair is still damp from the bath he just took. “It’s not that I’m uncomfortable with it, it’s really not that bad. I want to do it, I really do,” he says, looking up at Hyungwon eagerly before he hesitates. “But are you sure that this will make Hoseok-hyung feel better?”

Hyungwon nods. “This and that other thing we talked about. If those two things don’t work, then I don’t know.”

“Okay. I can do it.”

“You sure? You really don’t have to if you don’t want to. The other thing should be enough.”

Changkyun shakes his head. “I can hold down the embarrassment if it makes Hoseok-hyung feel better.”

“It’s really not that bad, Changkyun-ah,” Hyungwon sighs, smiling fondly at the younger. “I don’t know why you’re so worried.”

“Easy for you to say,” Changkyun mumbles. “You’re not the one doing it.”

Hyungwon chuckles and ruffles Changkyun’s hair, laughing even more at Changkyun’s pout. “Cute,” he murmurs just loud enough for Changkyun’s ears to catch it, causing them to turn an even brighter red.

With a shy grin, he ducks his head and peers up at Hyungwon through his eyelashes, a perfect mask of innocence. “Hyung, do you think you could… help me?”

Hyungwon chokes.

  
  
  


There are many times when Changkyun has regretted his life decisions. That time he and Jooheon decided to play Jenga with the chopsticks. Or that time Minhyuk and Kihyun convinced the others to have a Korean drama theme and he was forced into a slinky dress and bright red lipstick. Maybe even that one time he tried going to the gym with Hyunwoo and Hoseok.

This could make top 10, he thinks as he stands by the living room hall, waiting for Hoseok to finish for the night. He pulls at the long night shirt, too many sizes too big, and fiddles with the hem of his sleeping shorts. From where he is, he can see Hoseok sigh and run his hand through his hair, sending the strands in wayward directions, making it look like a mini explosion has just occurred. It takes another sigh and two more eye rubs before Hoseok shuts his laptop and stands up. Behind him, Hyungwon pushes him forward, causing him to stumble out in the open. He turns around to see Hyungwon slink back into the room, no doubt headed to bed.

Without a wall to hide behind, Hoseok spots him right away. “Changkyun?” he says, looking confused. “Why aren’t you in bed?”

“I could ask the same thing,” Changkyun mumbles, trying to steel his nerves for his next act.

Hoseok lets out a tired sigh and the small smile he puts on to appease Changkyun looks so fake it makes Changkyun want to wipe it off his face and replace it with a happier one. “I was just going to call it a night.”

“Are you feeling better now?”

“Not really,” Hoseok admits, head hanging low. “I’m just… really stressed right now.”

Changkyun nods, a little helplessly, unsure how to broach the topic. “Um…” He takes a deep breath and says quickly, “Hyungwon-hyung told me to do this.”

“What?” Hoseok says, startled before he’s cut off by an armful of Changkyun, who’s buried himself in Hoseok’s burly chest. “Changkyun?”

Trying to make his voice as light and breathy as possible, Changkyun looks up, blush already tinging his cheeks pink, and says, “Oppa, hwaiting!” Hoseok, underneath him, goes stock still.

“Say that again,” he says breathlessly and Changkyun curses inside his head. He pulls away and balls his hands into fists to help maintain his sanity.

“Oppa, hwaiting! You can do it! I believe in you!” The voice he uses is soft and high-pitched, a perfect  _ aegyo _ voice. He pulls his fists in a cute fighting motion and squeezes his eyes shut, afraid to look at Hoseok’s face and see judgment in his eyes.

Changkyun doesn’t even get a chance before Hoseok pulls him back into his arms and squeezes the breath out of him. “Oh my god,” he whispers into Changkyun’s hair, “how did I get so lucky to find someone like you.”

Changkyun laughs in disbelief. “I can’t believe Hyungwon was right. Did my  _ aegyo _ really make you feel better?” He laughs even harder when Hoseok nods in confirmation. “What the fuck, hyung.”

“Hey, what happened to  _ oppa _ , Changkyun-ah,” Hoseok teases playfully. Changkyun thinks he can handle the blush that’s permanently staining his cheeks now to see Hoseok relaxed and happy.

“ _ Oppa _ is feeling better so I guess we don’t need that second thing,” he replies with a sly grin. “If your oppa-kink didn’t work, I’m sure  _ that _ would have made  _ oppa _ very happy.”

Hoseok’s arms tighten around Changkyun. “Oh no, you can’t just say that and not expect me to be curious.”

With a mysterious smile, Changkyun pulls away, feeling the thrum of exhilaration trickle down his spine as Hoseok’s hands fall to his hips and tighten to keep him in place. Gently, he pulls at Hoseok’s hand and tugs it away so that he can lead Hoseok into their shared room. Hoseok follows easily, like a trained puppy obedient to its master.

To Changkyun’s surprise, Hyungwon has managed to stay awake. He lies in bed, flicking boredly through his phone when he looks up in surprise before his expression turns into a cocky grin and a dark, heady stare. “I take it that it worked,” Hyungwon inquires, the corners of his lips tugging into a teasing smile that causes Changkyun to flush all over again.

“It did,” Hoseok answers for him. “But I believe Changkyun said there would be more?” Changkyun doesn’t have to turn around to know that Hoseok is gazing appreciatively at Hyungwon’s tall body strewn across the bed, eyes running along the lean musculature and trailing along long legs. His hand tightens around Changkyun’s.

“Changkyun, come here,” Hyungwon orders. “Let’s show Hoseok-hyung that…  _ other _ thing we prepared for him since he was feeling sad.”

Hoseok’s smile falters at that. “I wasn’t feeling sad,” he mutters. “I’m okay,” he emphasizes when Hyungwon makes a  _ tsk _ -ing sound. “I really am.”

“Alright,” he says, lifting his hands in surrender. “Guess we don’t have to do it since you’re not sad.” Changkyun winces when Hoseok squeezes his hand tight as he vehemently denies Hyungwon’s threat.

Hyungwon laughs at the desperation in Hoseok’s face and he quietly beckons Changkyun over. Changkyun manages to free himself from Hoseok’s grasp and walks slowly to where Hyungwon is laying down with an indulgent smile on his lips.

“Closer,” he says, pulling Changkyun’s hand until Changkyun clambers on the bed and into Hyungwon’s lap. Immediately, Hyungwon’s long fingers find themselves on Changkyun’s skin, stroking softly until Changkyun feels like melting into a puddle, where the only thing holding him up is Hyungwon’s grip.

Before he can even reorient himself as the hands move away from his waist, they appear again at his face and plush lips meet his. He gasps slightly as Hyungwon’s lips presses against his own then gives in and opens his mouth to allow Hyungwon access. He groans at the sensation, their tongues sliding together, the world narrowing down to just  _ Hyungwon Hyungwon Hyungwon _ .

In the back of his head, he feels like he’s forgetting something but Hyungwon’s hands slip down again and wander, trailing along his rib cage and down and down and down until he’s resting a large hand against Changkyun’s butt. Hyungwon squeezes and Changkyun chokes on a moan.

He’s not the only one. Distantly, Changkyun hears Hoseok let out a low groan and something in his blood hums with excitement. He breaks free from Hyungwon, gasping as their lips remain connected by a thick glob of saliva. “Hyung,” he says, trying to calm his racing heart, “are you just going to stand there?”

What surprises Changkyun is that Hoseok does not immediately strip to join them but hesitates and instead sits on the other bed. “About that,” he says, voice strangled. There’s a small tent in his pants and he looks like he’s trying hard to think of dirty old grandmas and not his two extremely attractive boyfriends.

“About what?” Hyungwon groans in complaint, laying back down and dragging Changkyun with him, who lets out a small squeak. Changkyun pushes up against Hyungwon’s chest so that he’s sitting up to look to where Hoseok is.

“I declared celibacy until things got better.”

They sit in stunned silence for a moment. Hoseok twiddles his thumbs while Changkyun and Hyungwon look between each other and Hoseok for what feels like an indecipherable amount of time.

“Can’t you… I don’t know, undeclare it?” Hyungwon asks, exasperated.

Hoseok laughs lightly. “It’s the principle of things, Hyungwon-ah.”

“You’re right,” Hyungwon sighs. He slowly pushes up. “I guess it’ll be kind of pointless to keep going if you’re not going to join-”

“No!” Hoseok exclaims, startling both Changkyun and Hyungwon.  “You don’t have to stop,” he mumbles his clarification.

Changkyun can’t help the urge to tease Hoseok. With a sly grin, he grips Hyungwon’s shoulders and grinds down in Hyungwon’s lap, who chokes on the words he’s about to say. He stares at Hoseok with a teasing smile as he reduces Hyungwon to heavy pants with just the movement of his hips.

It almost prepares him for the lone finger that trails down his spine until is gently rubs against his hole. Changkyun squirms, the sensation almost foreign, nevermind their bathroom rendezvous. The feeling of Hyungwon’s finger slipping into his shorts and tracing his rim causes him to break eye contact with Hoseok to hold the whine that escapes his lips. It doesn’t escape him, the low groans that come from his boyfriends.

“Hyung,” he pants, bending his head forehead as Hyungwon continues tracing his hole, occasionally pressing in deeper but never enough to break through the muscles. “Stop teasing.”

“Don’t want to hurt you, Changkyunnie,” Hyungwon murmurs, before he slips the tip of his finger in. Changkyun gasps at the pain and Hyungwon quickly withdraws. “Hyung,” he says, addressing Hoseok, who is looking at the two in a daze. “Hyung,” he repeats before Hoseok snaps back to attention.

“What’s wrong, Hyungwon-ah?”

“Changkyun’s still kind of tight. We stretched him earlier but I guess it wasn’t enough. Can you-”   


“You did what?” He stares incredulously at the pair and Changkyun buries his head in the crook of Hyungwon’s shoulder to hide his embarrassment. His ears burn red. Hyungwon’s hand comes to rub soothingly at his nape.

“Changkyun stretched himself in the bathroom earlier. I helped. But can you-”

“Wait, and you didn’t invite me?” Hoseok exclaims.

Hyungwon retorts, “Weren’t you the one that declared celibacy?”

“I could have watched,” Hoseok defends.

Changkyun groans, turning his head to where it rests against Hyungwon’s shoulder to look at Hoseok with a deadpan expression. “Geez, hyung. Oppa kink and now a voyeurism kink? Are there any more I should know about?”

Hoseok sends him a wry grin. “Let’s just say I’m glad you haven’t found  _ the box _ yet.”

“Oh my god,” Changkyun groans. “I don’t even want to know.”

Changkyun can feel the soft vibrations as Hyungwon chuckles quietly. Slowly, his hand returns to its ministrations, stroking along his back and dipping down beneath his shorts to circle at his hole. The other hand pulls the material down and off, then goes in between their bodies and wraps a hand around his dick, stroking it. He lets out a keening moan at the sensation, the world narrowing to just the feeling of Hyungwon’s hands on him. 

“Hyung,” he can hear Hyungwon say, only distantly aware because each brush against the ring of muscles that matches each pump of his dick sends shivers down his spine, “get the lube.”

He’s pulled out of his daze when the hand around his cock is removed and something cold pushes up against his hole instead, spreading slowly until a finger slips in. He gasps at the sensation as the finger moves gently around, slowly working him open. Carefully, Hyungwon introduces a second finger and Changkyun moans at the stretch.

“Shh,” Hyungwon murmurs, voice tight, “just relax.”

“That’s a bit,” Changkyun grits out, voice cracking as Hyungwon crooks his fingers, “hard to do.”

Slowly, he relaxes, breathing deeply as his grip on Hyungwon’s shoulders loosen. Suddenly, a third finger appears. He tenses at the additional stretch and moans quietly, leaning back into Hoseok’s chest, where he has appeared behind him.

“Hyung,” Hyungwon teases, continuing to work his fingers inside Changkyun, who lets out little whimpers as the fingers move and stretch his muscles, “I thought you weren’t going to join.”

Hoseok replies, voice confident and cool, “We have work tomorrow. I figured I’d help this go faster.” As he says this, he bends his finger just so that Changkyun sees stars, a long moan slipping out of his mouth against his will and all his muscles tightening, which only draws more groans from him at the stretch and from his boyfriends at the eroticness of the action.

“Hyung, what…?” Changkyun gasps out as Hoseok continues to rub at that spot. He can barely make out the red streaks on Hyungwon’s shoulders that his hands are making as he squeezes them to gain a little purchase on his sanity, the wide-collared shirt slipping off Hyungwon’s shoulders. “Hyung, stop,” he moans out, the assault on his prostate sending blood rushing everywhere, “I’m going to come.”

“That’s the plan, Changkyunnie,” Hoseok says cheerfully. It’s almost dizzying, all the sensation rushing through him, but Changkyun pouts. Are his boyfriends even aroused? The thought quickly disappears when Hyungwon’s fingers join Hoseok’s attack and everything fades into pleasure and the ever decreasing pain.

“I thought,” he pants, trying to keep some semblance of clarity, “that we were,” his voice breaks out into a particularly long moan as Hyungwon’s other hand wraps itself around Changkyun’s erection, bringing their two dicks together. “That we were,” he tries again, words falling in between whimpers, “doing this for,” he gasps as he’s assaulted with pleasure, Hyungwon pumping his erection with long even strokes and Hoseok rubbing against his prostate with abandon. “Hoseok-hyung!” he cries out and comes.

He tightens around his boyfriends’ fingers and that draws out long moans from them. They don’t stop their ministrations and they both continue rubbing at his prostate as Hyungwon continues pumping his erection and Changkyun’s spent dick together trying to chase his own release.

Tears fill his eyes from the oversensitivity, the pleasurable sensation almost bordering on pain now and he moans lightly, resting his head against Hyungwon’s shoulder until Hyungwon comes with a shudder, the cum splattering between their two bodies and joining the drying cum from Changkyun’s orgasm.

He whines as they slowly withdraw their fingers, the emptiness almost strange, and Hoseok makes a soft cooing sound. There’s movement of the bed but Changkyun is too exhausted to tell what’s going, barely even registering the flicker of the bathroom lights turning on. 

“Hyungwon, hand him over,” Hoseok orders and Hyungwon, exhausted, lets Hoseok take Changkyun into his own lap. “You did good, Changkyunnie,” he murmurs. “Hyungs are so lucky to have you.”

“Hyung,” Changkyun grumbles as Hoseok wipes at his skin with a wet cloth, “we were supposed to take care of you.” He swats at Hoseok with faux anger while Hoseok changes his sleeping shorts for another pair. He distantly notes that Hoseok’s shorts are different than the ones he was wearing earlier too.

“Next time,” Hoseok laughs. “Besides, I don’t think either of you could last another round,” he says, gesturing to Hyungwon. Changkyun peers over and laughs lightly with Hoseok, seeing Hyungwon passed out on the bed. He’s finally coming down from the high and he’s grateful to Hoseok for cleaning him.

“I’ll go get another washcloth for Hyungwonnie-hyung,” he murmurs, pushing up to get off the bed.

“Wait, I don’t think-” Hoseok starts before Changkyun stands and his knees buckle. He’s pulled back into Hoseok’s chest before he falls, who  _ tsks _ and sets him back down on the bed. “Don’t worry. I got it.”

Changkyun watches as Hoseok bustles around, cleaning Hyungwon who lets out a tired moan and refuses to move. He moves to lay down next to Hyungwon, who wraps octopus-like limbs around him. The light flickers off and Hoseok finally joins them in bed.

“Hyung,” Changkyun whispers, “are you feeling better now?”

It’s dark and Changkyun can’t see but the brightness on Hoseok’s face as he smiles fondly at the younger is enough. “Yeah, I’m feeling a lot better now. Thank you, Changkyun-ah.”

“Mm, I’m glad,” he says, before he yawns. Changkyun hadn’t noticed it before but he feels the heaviness weighing down his own body, his own exhaustion finally setting in from a month of stress and continuous hard work. He reminds himself that it’s for the best.

“Goodnight, Changkyun-ah,” Hoseok says softly, wrapping his arms around the two of them so that Changkyun is squished in between the two older men. Sleep takes Changkyun away before he can reply.

 

\-- --

 

Even as  _ Monbebe Ramen _ grows busier, Hoseok is glad. He still feels tense when the numbers barely hit the needed quota for the day, still mourns the lightness of his wallet, still takes the time to keep up with the regulars because he knows without them,  _ Monbebe Ramen _ would not be where it is today.

Today, Jooheon seems restless.

Hoseok doesn’t really know why but he does care so he finishes his conversation with a new “regular” (she doesn’t order ramen, says she’s on a diet but likes the atmosphere)  and let’s her return to editing her pictures for her social media account. He enters the kitchen, drops off the order, and walks over to Jooheon, the blond busboy tapping his foot impatiently and glancing at the front door.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” he asks and Jooheon looks at him with worry evident in his eyes.

Jooheon’s eyes flicker behind Hoseok to look at the door again when the chime goes off but his shoulders sag in frustration when the customer walks in. Hoseok briefly glances behind him and frowns. He should go and greet the customer but Minhyuk waves his hand and takes over instead. “It’s nothing, hyung,” he says with a sigh, turning his back to start on the dishes. Hoseok notes that his shoulders tense when the door chimes again but sag when the customer speaks.

“Come on, Jooheon-ah. What’s bothering you? Do you need to take a break?”

“It’s not that, Hoseok-hyung,” Jooheon says, shaking his head. “It’s just,” he hesitates. “I think something happened to Grandma Kim.”

It takes a few moments for what Jooheon has said to process in Hoseok’s brain. Grandma Kim has always been  _ Jooheon’s _ regular but all the staff are fond of her. He can’t help the sinking feeling as he reviews the customers in the last few days and realize that Grandma Kim has not been one of them.

For someone else, it wouldn’t be a big deal. No one can eat ramen every day of the week. Not even Hoseok himself even though he can very well try. But Grandma Kim comes every day, without fail, if not to order ramen, to talk with Jooheon and the other staff.

“Maybe she’ll come today,” Hoseok offers with an unsure smile.

“Maybe.”

Jooheon turns away, face downcast, and Hoseok’s heart aches. He’s lost regulars before, some who were unhappy that Hoseok rejected their advances, some who became too busy, some who moved away. “Tell you what,” he says, clapping Jooheon on the back. The younger man turns and looks at him with a curious expression. “Tomorrow, we can go visit her at the bookstore before opening.”

“Really?” Jooheon says, eyes lighting up. “Would that be alright? We’re so busy right now.”

Hoseok looks out to the full room and sighs fondly. In the corner, Changkyun and Minhyuk are entertaining a toddler in her high chair. Hyunwoo is chatting easily with a woman dressed in workout gear. With a heavy hand, he ruffles Jooheon’s hair to the busboy’s complaints, and says, “I think they’ll be able to handle it.”

  
  


They don’t handle it. Instead, all of  _ Monbebe Ramen _ gathers in front of  _ Grandma Bird Books _ early in the morning. Hyungwon is hanging off of Changkyun, arms wrapped around the smaller body as Changkyun repeatedly yawns and rubs his eyes.

Jooheon pushes the door open and the soft tinkling of bells breaks the quiet morning. The bookstore is dimly lit, only pale sunlight illuminating the small shop. The front desk is empty. The floorboards creak as they walk inside, faint echoes of steps breaking the utter stillness and silence of the shop.

“Hello?” Jooheon calls out, reaching to grab Hyunwoo’s arm, frightened by the seeming abandonment of the store.

“I’ll be with you in a minute,” a voice calls out, followed by the sound of a book dropping and cursing. Jooheon’s eyebrows furrow.

He turns to the others and in a low voice says, “That’s not Grandma Kim.”

The others nod along. The voice that answered them was, while female, young and light unlike Grandma Kim’s wobbly voice filled with wisdom. A woman steps out behind one of the bookcases, looking frazzled. Her glasses are askew and her shirt is wrinkled.

“How can I help you?” she asks, a little breathless.

It’s silent for a moment, none of them knowing exactly what to see. Hoseok takes the lead, turning up his thousand watt smile in hopes that they won’t be kicked out right away. “We were looking for Grandma Kim?”

“I’m sorry?” she says, confused.

Hoseok hesitates, smile still plastered on his face. “Is she not here?”

Before the woman can answer, a loud wail pierces the quiet morning, shattering the awkward silence that had settled around them. She flushes and quickly excuses herself with a soft apology. Hoseok sighs and turns to the others with a shrug. To his left, he can see Changkyun drawing patterns with his foot while on his right, Jooheon taps his foot impatiently.

“I wonder what’s going on,” Kihyun murmurs from where he’s fiddling with a loose thread on Hyunwoo’s shirt. 

His question is answered when the woman appears, a toddler in her arms as the child sniffles into the crook of her neck. The boy’s cheeks are flushed red and he has a fever patch on his forehead. She apologizes as she rubs soothing circles into the crying boy’s arms. “It’s okay, it’s okay,” she murmurs softly, voice weary, carefully bouncing the child in her arms.

It only takes a few moments for her to realize that there are still seven men waiting awkwardly for her. She blushes, cheeks turning a bright red as she hastily bows her head in apology, the toddler finally quiet. “I’m sorry, what were you looking for?” she asks again, after they reassure her that everything is fine.

“Is the owner of the bookstore in?” Jooheon asks cautiously.

“Mother?” she asks with a slight tilt to her head. “No, but why do you ask?”

It’s quiet again as Jooheon fidgets. “Grandma Kim, your mother,” he clarifies, “was a regular at our store and we were worried when she didn’t show up this past week. We just wanted to check in and see if she was okay.”

They’re met with a quiet sigh of relief before it settles into a small frown. “Ah, I see.” She looks a little lost, like she’s not sure what to say.

Hoseok cuts in. “If I may ask, where is she? How is she doing?”

“Mother’s… a little sick right now,” she admits, and Hoseok knows that if she wasn’t holding the little boy in her arms, she would be wringing her hands in mild distress. The child must sense her worry and begins to sniffle into her shoulder. “Ah, shh, shh Jongwon-ah,” she says softly, trying to comfort the child. “We can play with Kangwoo-ah later when you’re feeling better.” She looks like she’s about to cry herself and Hoseok’s heart hurts.

Before he can do anything, Kihyun steps in. “Jongwon, was it?” he asks before he leans down to pat soothingly at the toddler’s head. “It’s okay, Jongwon-ah, it’s okay.” Amazingly, Jongwon stops crying and only hides faint sniffles against his mother’s neck. Hoseok sees the woman’s face break into relief.

“Thank you,” she exhales, and gestures for Kihyun to take Jongwon into his arms. She rubs at her eyes wearily, where some tears have built on the edges. “I’m sorry, it’s just be a long week,” she apologizes, voice thin and tired. “It’s the first time that he’s actually been receptive to a stranger so quickly.”

Hoseok replies, voice light. “It’s no problem. I’m glad we could help.” He trails off, unsure of what to say. Jooheon reaches over and pulls at his sleeve, giving him a pointed look. He turns to look at the younger and tries to convey that he doesn’t know how to approach the situation. Anything about Grandma Kim is obviously sensitive information and Hoseok doesn’t know if he can be blunt enough to ask about it.

Luckily, he doesn’t have to. Hyunwoo,  _ oh bless Hyunwoo and his straightforwardness _ , quietly asks, “Are you running the store by yourself? I don’t think I’ve seen you around before.”

She shakes her head sadly. “My mom’s currently in the hospital right now, so I had to take over. I normally work as an accountant.”

There’s nothing to stop Jooheon’s outburst of surprise. “Grandma Kim’s in the hospital?!?”

“She got sick a few weeks ago but she told us she was fine. Then my brother stopped by her house over the weekend and found her passed out on the floor. We rushed her to the hospital but she’s still in the ICU.”

Hoseok grabs Jooheon’s arm before he can fall from the shock. He looks pale and Hoseok grips him a little tighter to both soothe him and make sure he doesn’t pass out himself.

“I’m sorry, that must be hard for you,” Hyunwoo sympathizes. An awkward silence follows. “Is there anything we can do to help?” he ventures, voice unsure.

The woman looks startled. “I mean…” she trails off hesitantly, looking to where Kihyun and Minhyuk are taking turns holding and playing with Jongwon. “I couldn’t ask that of you,” she says with finality. “I don’t even know you that well.”

Hoseok cuts back in this time, sensing Hyunwoo’s reluctance to push further in case he makes her uncomfortable. “It’s really no problem,” he assures her. “Grandma Kim is really important to us and we want to help.”

A soft chime goes off in Hoseok’s pocket. He fishes his phone out and groans. Opening time for  _ Monbebe Ramen _ is in an hour and they need to hurry back. “Here,” he says, jotting down  _ Monbebe Ramen _ ’s and his phone numbers onto a blank notepad on the front desk, “just call us if you need help. We have to get going now.”

Reluctantly, Kihyun hands Jongwon back to his mom, the child instantly pressing his face into the crook of his mother’s neck and wrapping small arms around to hold on tightly as the toddler yawns. “Bye Jongwon-ah,” he whispers quietly, smiling softly as Jongwon settles into a light slumber.

As they leave the store, Minhyuk grabs onto Hoseok’s arm and gushes, “Oh my god, he was so cute. I want a kid too,” he whines. Hoseok laughs lightly and ruffles the waiter’s now dark locks, Minhyuk also unable to afford the maintenance of his dyed hair.   
“Maybe when you’re older and don’t need Kihyun and Hyunwoo to take care of you.”

“Well, that’s never going to happen,” Minhyuk complains, a petulant look on his face. “But really, I don’t know what you’re talking about, Hoseok-hyung, I would be a great father,” he says.

Wisely, Hoseok chooses not to comment. He knows that the sentiment is true but Minhyuk doesn’t need to get any ideas. Instead, his eyes shift to in front where Changkyun and Hyungwon are talking with Jooheon quietly, heads bent together. Offhandedly, he tells Minhyuk, “You can baby Jooheon, instead.”

That makes Minhyuk’s eyes light up and with a shout of glee, Minhyuk lets go of Hoseok’s arm and barrels into the trio in front of them, almost sending Jooheon flying with a strong back hug.

  
  


The phone rings.

“Hello,  _ Monbebe Ramen _ . How may I help you?” Hoseok answers, quickly handing off his orders to Changkyun to bring to the back. He wipes his forehead as he balances the phone on his shoulder, relieved to take a small break from rush hour.

The voice over the line is quiet and Hoseok has to strain to hear it well. “Hello,” the voice says, “you said I could call if I needed help.”

It takes Hoseok a moment to put a face to the voice before he realizes. “Ah yes,” he says, “is something wrong?”

“The hospital just called with an update on my mother,” she says, and even through the static quality of the call, her voice sounds strained and tired, sad.

“Is everything okay?”

There’s silence over the line. “No, not really.” She sighs and Hoseok waits patiently, not wanting to force her to speak even though his foot taps incessantly because he needs to get back to work. “Is it possible for you to watch my son for me? Just for a few hours until I can settle things at the hospital?”

Hoseok hesitates. They don’t have time to watch over a kid, not when they’re so busy with the restaurant. They really can’t afford to waste that time.

Over the line, the women quickly backtracks. “It’s alright if you can’t,” she says hastily, “but-”

Before he even realizes it, Hoseok has made his decision. He cuts her off. “Of course. Like I said, we’d be glad to help. Grandma Kim is really important to us.”

“Thank you so much,” she sighs, relief tingeing her voice audibly. “Can I drop him off soon? I’ll give you guys everything you need, I promise.”

“Sure,” Hoseok says. He hangs up the phone after a short goodbye and looks back at the restaurant. It’s not too crowded right now, the largest wave of rush hour crowd having left. He greets a few customers and hands out some orders that have been made. In the distant corner, he can see Minhyuk and Jooheon clearing out and setting up something in the corner.

“Hyung!” Minhyuk calls out, “we’re setting a place for Jongwon to play. What do you think?”

Hoseok startles. “How did you know Grandma Kim’s daughter was dropping off her son?”

Minhyuk snorts and gives him an expert eyeroll. “There’s a reason we installed two landlines, hyung. We listened in on the other line. Duh. What do you think we did?” And honestly, Hoseok should be surprised but at this point in his relationship with the others, he’s really not. “But back to the real question, is this cute or what?”

The corner is completely redecorated. One of the larger tables have been pushed away and two small children’s tables takes its place. A soft but large tablecloth with cute patterns of hearts from one of their previous themes is taped to the ground and on top of it, the area is littered with stuffed animals. There’s the bear plushies that Hyunwoo keeps in his office and small hamster keychains hung on a makeshift mobile. All the toys that  _ Monbebe Ramen _ has collectively gotten in the past year are neatly arranged in a small bin. There’s even some of Hoseok and Minhyuk’s art supplies on one of the tables.

Hoseok gasps. “Minhyuk, this is amazing. How did you do this?”

“It’s amazing how much stuff we actually have in the storeroom,” Minhyuk snorts, fiddling with some ribbon to tie tiny bows around the neck of one of the many teddy bears sitting on the mini chairs.

“No, like I literally got off the phone like five minutes ago. When did you even start?”

Minhyuk offers him a grin in platitude. “I already figured what was going to happen when I saw the called ID. Hyunwoo pulled everything out while you talked and everyone helped!”

“It wasn’t just you and Jooheon?” Hoseok asks suspiciously. Minhyuk shakes his head. “Then who was running the store?”

The only answer he receives to his question is Minhyuk’s sheepish laughter. He sighs. Before he can even think of scolding the younger waiter, Minhyuk is called over by one of his regulars and he leaves with a lascivious eyebrow wiggle that makes Hoseok forget his anger in place of amused fondness.

“Hey, Jooheon, where’s Changkyun?”

Jooheon straightens from where he’s fixing the tablecloth to the ground. “Huh? Changkyun? He’s in the kitchen doing the dishes.”

“Isn’t that your job, Jooheonie?”

Jooheon gapes. “But I’m here doing-” he pauses with a huff. “This is favoritism, hyung. I’m doing my best! Blame Minhyuk-hyung,” he complains. “Favoritism, hyung, absolute, utter favoritism. I thought you were better than this, Hoseok-hyung.”

Hoseok laughs, brightly, feeling a little weight lift off his chest. “Love you too, Jooheon-ah,” he teases before heading back to kitchen. “Changkyun!” he calls out, looking for the youngest member.

He finds Changkyun cutting vegetables as Hyungwon lazily stirs a pot of broth. “Oh, hey, hyung,” Changkyun says, startled. “What’s up?”

“Why are you cutting the onions, Changkyun? Where’s Kihyun?”

“Oh, uh…” Changkyun starts, laughing nervously and lifting his free hand to scratch the back of his head. “Well, you see-”

“He’s not here, is he,” Hoseok says bluntly.

“What? Of course he’s here,” Changkyun sputters, waving his hands frantically as if to hide the empty space where Kihyun normally is. “He’s just so short that you can’t see him.” Hoseok raises one eyebrow and crosses his arms.

He repeats, “He’s not here, is he.”

Changkyun’s shoulders droop. “Yeah.”

“Kihyun went to buy some supplies,” Hyungwon mentions offhandedly. Hoseok turns to look at him, not even aware that the taller was listening.

“But Hyunwoo and I bought just enough supplies for today,” Hoseok says, eyebrows furrowed. “Did we run out? I don’t think lunch rush was that much more crowded today than usual.”

His two boyfriends remain silent. Hoseok stares at the two, hoping one of them will crack, but his boyfriends refuse to say anything. In his head, Hoseok curses the fact that he’s the most likely to crack compared to Hyungwon and Changkyun.

Luckily, he doesn’t have to continue this staring game because Kihyun rushes in, hands carrying full shopping bags. “Hey guys, told you I’d make it back before Hoseok-hyung could find- oh, Hoseok-hyung, you’re here.”

“And where did you go, Kihyunnie?”

Kihyun holds up his bags with a shrug. “I remembered that Jongwon was sick when we visited this morning, so I got some children’s fever patches and some ingredients to make chicken noodle soup for him. I think Grandma Kim once told me none of her grandkids are allergic to anything so I figured I would make some for him.”

Before Hoseok can say anything, the phone rings, shrill in sharp. Hoseok zeroes in on the noise right where any of the kitchen staff and any sneaky employees have access to listen in on any phone conversation. The phone stops ringing, signaling that the caller has either hung up or someone has answered the phone. Hoseok raises another eyebrow at Kihyun’s quick glance at the phone and impatient thrumming of his fingers against his thigh.

He sighs. “Go ahead,” and Kihyun rushes to the phone to listen in. “I can’t watch this,” he mutters, and walks out towards the office to see who answered the phone.

“No, it’s no problem,” Hyunwoo says over the line with a shake of his head. “Don’t worry about it.” He hums quietly then says “Alright. See you then.”

Hoseok doesn’t even get to ask Hyunwoo who the call was from when Minhyuk screams from outside, “There’s more kids coming? YES!”

“So… who was that?” Hoseok asks, leaning against the door as Hyunwoo hangs up the phone.

“Kim-shi,” Hyunwoo says. “Her brother and sister weren’t able to find someone to take care of their kids while they went to the hospital and decided to leave them with her.”

“So, you offered to watch over them? How many kids are we getting?” Hyunwoo holds up three fingers and Hoseok sighs in frustration. Hoseok doesn’t mean to sound upset but it’s been a long month and he’s tired. “What are we going to do about the restaurant?” He winces at how accusatory his voice sounds, even as it wobbles unevenly. He’s just so tired.

There’s a distant look in Hyunwoo’s eyes as he contemplates and Hoseok is one step from pulling his hair out. “Don’t you think” Hyunwoo starts slowly, meeting Hoseok’s eyes, voice calm and quiet, “that this is the right thing to do?”

Hoseok deflates. “You’re right,” he says quietly.

To his credit, Hyunwoo offers a sympathetic smile, the kind that softens his eyes and lightens the burden on Hoseok’s shoulders. “Hey, it’ll be fine. Trust me. Trust  _ us _ ,” Hyunwoo says, and Hoseok is reminded of that afternoon all those months ago when everything started.

“We’ll get through it. We always do,” he finishes for Hyunwoo.

The front bell chimes and the faint wails of a crying child filter through the closed door. “Come on,” Hyunwoo says, taking Hoseok by the wrist and pulling him along, “let’s go.”

At the front, Minhyuk and Kihyun are leaning down to greet Jongwon, who’s held tightly in his mother’s arms, face buried into her neck. The child turns his head to peek at the two only to hurry and turn his head back away with a quiet sound of distress. Jooheon, Changkyun, and Hyungwon are crouched on the ground, waving their hands at two other children, who look confused and a little scared.

Hyunwoo lets go of Hoseok’s hand and goes to greet one of the children clinging to Kim-shi’s leg, a young boy with thin hair and round cheeks and a carefully blank face.

Kim-shi makes eye contact with Hoseok and awkwardly bows the best she can with a toddler in her arms and shoulders loaded with a heavy bag. “Thank you so much,” she mutters quietly, shifting Jongwon in her arms. “Kangwoo-ah, Siwoo-ah, say hi,” she says, nudging the two boys standing next to her with her leg.

Hoseok leans down, Changkyun and Hyungwon separating to let him between them, and he gives a bright smile. “Welcome to  _ Monbebe Ramen _ ,” he says cheerfully, eyes lighting up at the cautious smiles the two give him. “What can we do for you, today?”

 

\-- --

 

Hyungwon is in love.

After he and his ex broke up, he thought he would never see Siwoo again, but the boy is here, playing in their little makeshift children’s corner and Hyungwon doesn’t know if he can even make himself leave to start preparing food for the dinner rush. 

Siwoo, after seeing a familiar face, immediately rushed into Hyungwon’s arms and wouldn’t let go until it he was convinced to play with his cousins. It’s only been a few minutes since he last ran to give Hyungwon another hug,  _ the fourteenth one in the last hour _ , but he already looks like he’s debating if he should gift Hyungwon the plastic melon in his hands. He’s a generally agreeable child now that he’s comfortable and Hyungwon should leave him with the others because the only employee actually doing something pertinent to business is… is… actually, now that Hyungwon thinks about it, who’s running the store?

He can see Hyunwoo and Kihyun playing with Jongwon and Kangwoo, tossing little balls for them to play catch, while Minhyuk records the kids running around and Jooheon cheers for them when they make a particularly good throw. Hoseok chases around the balls that get thrown too far and cleans up the little corner so that it’s not too messy and so the kids won’t trip on anything and get hurt. Changkyun is talking quietly with Siwoo, the sight making Hyungwon’s heart swell with fondness. He shakes his head, internally scolding himself for getting distracted, and frowns.

“Um, guys?” he says, drawing the attention of no other employee but Hoseok. “Do we not have any customers?”

Hoseok shakes his head. The ends of his lips attempt to curl up in a feeble smile but Hyungwon can tell that it’s fake. “We’ve served everyone that’s come by, thankfully,” he says. But he points to the empty tables still laden with dirty dishes. “But I don’t think anyone new is going to come in. At least not until dinner rush. It’s a bit of a mess right now.” As he says it, the bell on the door chimes and Hoseok glances over before he sighs. “I got it,” he assures Hyungwon. “She doesn’t normally eat the ramen here anyways.”

Hyungwon watches Hoseok laugh apologetically as he clears a table for what the regular. She waves him off and asks a question with a tilt of her head. Instead of listening in, Hyungwon settles next to Changkyun who’s sitting on the ground and looking at Siwoo with a hopeful smile.

“Siwoo-ah, play with me instead,” he wheedles, laughing as Changkyun pouts and pushes him.

“Siwoo, you’re playing with me, right?” Changkyun tries, pitching his low voice up. “Can I have the melon?” Siwoo looks hesitant and looks at Hyungwon, who gestures him to go ahead. The toddler hands Changkyun the melon with a shy look, looking down bashfully when Changkyun squeals his praise.

“What about Hyungwon-hyung, Siwoo-ah?” Hyungwon asks playfully, holding out his hand. The child’s eyes widen when he realizes he’s empty handed. With a laugh, Hyungwon ruffles Siwoo’s hair and sends him off to play with his cousins.

Before Changkyun can say anything, Siwoo runs off and Changkyun deflates, hugging the plastic melon in his hands like a lifeline. “Hyung,” he whines, “I was just getting him to like me.”

“He’s always going to like me more,” Hyungwon says offhandedly, reaching a hand to ruffle Changkyun’s hair, only to be swatted away with a scowl. “What? It’s true. I’ve known him since he was born.”

“What? How?”

Hyungwon shrugs, smiling in victory when Changkyun acquiesces to Hyungwon threading his fingers through his hair. “My ex used to babysit him. They’re cousins, if I remember correctly.”

“Huh, small world,” Changkyun mutters, eyes fluttering shut as Hyungwon plays with his hair.

Hyungwon hums in agreement. “You could say that.” Together, they sit, shoulder to shoulder, watching the three toddlers play. Hyunwoo and Kihyun are leading the kids in a game while Minhyuk and Jooheon are slumped over on one of the tiny chairs drinking a juice box.

There’s a cough behind them that draws their attention away from the three children. “Hey, we need to start preparing for dinner rush,” Hoseok mumbles, sitting down anyways and resting his head against Hyungwon’s shoulder.

“Who’s going to watch the kids then?” Changkyun asks. It’s quiet for a moment, no one wanting to answer. The children are a nice break from the hell that’s been the last month but their presence still doesn’t change the fact that  _ Monbebe Ramen _ is hanging on a thread. Doesn’t change the fact that life goes on irrevocably no matter what.

“I was thinking it might be better to let Kihyun and Minhyuk watch over the kids because they like the kids best and the kids like them,” Hyunwoo says, startling the three boyfriends. Behind him, Minhyuk has taken his spot in their little game. “But we’re going to need both Kihyun and you in the kitchen to speed up prep.”

Although Hyungwon would like to play more with them, he can’t argue with Hyunwoo’s logic. “Got it,” he sighs.

Hoseok pipes up, “what about the rest of us?”

Hyunwoo hums. “I was thinking you could go with Minhyuk? The kids seem to like you a lot.”   


“Why not you, Hyunwoo-hyung?” Changkyun asks. “Kangwoo’s like a miniature version of you.”

Changkyun receives a shrug and a “Hoseok’s better with kids. I was going to leave Jooheon too but they haven’t been as receptive to him as I thought.”

There’s a moment’s pause as the three sit there and Hyunwoo stares at them. He raises one eyebrow, a sleek and smooth motion, that causes a nervous laughter to bubble out of Hyungwon’s chest. There’s another beat before the three of them scramble to stand up and get to work. Hyunwoo leaves with an amused smirk, already starting to clear the tables.

With a groan, Hyungwon uses Hoseok’s shoulder to leverage himself off the ground. “Yo, Kihyun,” he calls out, walking slowly to where Kihyun is playing with Siwoo. “Hyunwoo-hyung says we got to start preparing for dinner rush.”

Kihyun looks up in surprise and looks back down at Siwoo with a forlorn expression. He seems to calculate something in his head before his shoulders deflate and he sighs. “Alright. Get started and I’ll be right there,” he instructs, sending Hyungwon off with a wave of his hand before leaning down to give Siwoo a forehead kiss and a hug. 

Hyungwon scowls. “Don’t tell me what to do, shortie,” he mutters under his breath only to receive a sharp glare over Siwoo’s head from Kihyun. 

“Ah, Siwoo-ah!” Minhyuk calls out from behind them before Kihyun and Hyungwon can start a fight. “Come play with us!” Minhyuk is with Kangwoo and Jongwon, all three drawing in little sketchpads. “We’ve got another one just for you,” he says, holding up a fourth sketchpad and some crayons.

Siwoo looks up at Hyungwon with big round eyes and Hyungwon smiles fondly. “Go on,” he encourages and smiles as Siwoo rushes off with excitement. “He’s so cute,” he whines, not wanting to leave.

Kihyun sighs. “Come on, let’s go. You heard the big boss man.”

Hyungwon glances at the clock. It’s a only an hour before dinner rush and the pot they have for any incoming stragglers in between the rush hours is almost empty, the two chefs only going to the kitchen to dish rather than cook. He frowns. Kihyun does the same and Hyungwon knows that the shorter has also calculated it too. Even if they cook as quickly as possible, they won’t have enough prepared at the beginning of dinner rush.

“I think we need to hurry,” he chooses to say, even as they’re already on their way to the kitchen and tying on the aprons.

“Wow, what gave you that idea?” Kihyun says with an eye roll as he whips out a cutting board.

Hyungwon pouts. “No need to be rude.” He adds a petulant “asshole” under his breath as he turns to pull the ingredients out of the refrigerator but Kihyun catches it and lets out a sharp bark of laughter.

“This could kill you, you know?” he threatens, waving the knife he’s sharpening in Hyungwon’s direction. 

“HYUNWOO-HYUNG!” Hyungwon yells, “KIHYUN’S TRYING TO KILL ME!”

“Don’t kill Hyungwon, Kihyun,” Hyunwoo yells back.

“Thanks hyung!” Hyungwon calls out, throwing a shit-eating grin to Kihyun who’s rapidly chopping vegetables in anger. “You heard the big boss man.”

There’s a knock on the kitchen door and Changkyun enters, a cautious look on his face. “Uh, hyung. Hoseok-hyung told me to tell you that you scared the kids and that you need to get back to work. Okay. Bye.” The swinging door closes behind him and Changkyun  is gone before Hyungwon can even blink.

Kihyun smirks, a large pile of vegetables neatly cut. He’s slicing the meat already. “You heard your boyfriends. Get to work,” he orders, pointing his knife to where the large pots are waiting to be filled with broth and water to boil the noodles.

“Sorry for the wait,” he hears Hoseok apologize. Hyungwon stares at the pot in front of him willing it to cook faster.

The restaurant is crowded and as soon as Hyungwon and Kihyun finish preparing a batch, it disappears. Normally on days when it becomes too crowded, Hyunwoo steps away from waiting tables to help cook but there’s too many customers for him to do so. Instead, Hyunwoo runs around helping them set up then runs back to waiting tables amongst his many other duties. He cleans tables as he answers the phone, refills water as he takes orders, and makes sure that the kids are doing okay and that the noise of the dinner crowd don’t scare them.

Nonetheless, the other workers do their share. Changkyun and Jooheon switch off doing dishes and waiting tables, careful not to carry the bowls of ramen with wet hands. They’re forced to take on more tables since Hoseok and Minhyuk are occupied with taking care of the children.

Speaking of Hoseok and Minhyuk, Hyungwon is surprised to find that even though they aren’t waiting tables, they’re taking the opportunity to chat with the guests and invite the children to play in their makeshift children’s corner. Since Jooheon and Changkyun aren’t as chatty when they serve, Minhyuk and Hoseok fill in where the two youngest lack with charisma and perfect customer service smiles, all while entertaining and maintaining a careful eye on the three children in their care.

Like so, dinner rush passes, the employees magically unscathed but exhausted. Hyungwon stares at the kitchen with a groan, every surface covered in dirty pots and pans. The dishwasher whirls away as Jooheon wipes the last of the dirty dishes in the sink and waits to load them up for a final batch only to groan in disappointment when Changkyun walks in with another pile of dishes in his arms. There’s only an hour left till closing.

The three toddlers are asleep, tucked away on small mats that Hoseok dug out from their ever extensive magic closet. Quietly, Hoseok picks up the dishes of the meal Kihyun had made for the three during dinner rush and takes them to the back, where he greets Hyungwon with a soft kiss on the cheek.

“How was your day?” he asks carefully, kneading his hands into Hyungwon’s shoulders. Hyungwon lets out a pleased groan, feeling the tension from being on his feet all day loosen.

“Long. Busy.”

“Sorry,” Hoseok says and although he’s not facing Hyungwon, Hyungwon can imagine exactly how his face looks: a little sad, a little downcast.

“It’s a good thing,” Hyungwon reminds gently, hating that Hoseok feels like he has to bear all the weight on his shoulders for decisions they’ve all agreed on. He turns to Hoseok with an inquiring look, trying to think of a distraction. “We were so busy we’ll probably have to turn away any stragglers,” he jokes, hoping to lighten the mood.

“Can we?” Kihyun groans, carrying a load of pots to the dishwasher where Jooheon takes them with only mild complaint. “I didn’t even know we had this many pots and now they’re all dirty.”

Before Hoseok can say anything, Changkyun comes up to the two and buries his head in Hoseok’s back, exhaling. “Hyung, please,” he moans, voice muffled against thick muscle, “I’ll do anything.” Hoseok laughs lightly, obviously enjoying Changkyun’s cuddliness and clinginess.

Hyungwon looks out through the kitchen window. There’s only a few customers left and most of them have already received their orders. One girl sits near the corner and types away on her laptop but Hyungwon remembers that Hoseok has said that she never usually orders anything but the drinks. Hyunwoo is at the cash register, logging in receipts and calculating the sales for the day. From the way he squints and occasionally rubs his eyes, Hyungwon can tell that the manager is tired too. Even Minhyuk, who is sitting with the kids, is slumped over in his chair, eyes threatening to close shut. (But for Minhyuk that might be sleeping, lest Hyungwon forget the time he discovered Minhyuk slept with his eyes open.)

The phone rings, the sound clear and loud in the quiet restaurant, but Hyunwoo picks up the phone swiftly before any of the children can wake up. From where he’s sitting, Hyungwon can see Minhyuk jolt awake, looking disconcerted before he sighs and slumps back down in his chair, one hand reaching out to stroke Kangwoo’s head.

There’s hesitation in Hoseok’s eyes, a tenseness in his body that Changkyun must sense, as tightly as he’s holding Hoseok. The youngest of the trio moves his head from where it’s buried against Hoseok’s wide back to rest his head on Hoseok’s shoulders instead, looking up at Hyungwon. Hyungwon coos at the sight, Changkyun’s hair ruffled and messy, eyes sleepy and soft.

“We can afford to call it in early, right hyung?” Hyungwon asks, not able to stop the yawn that leaves his mouth.

Hoseok opens his mouth and closes it a few times, eyes flicking back and forth between his two boyfriends and the other employees. “It’s not just up to me to decide,” he says weakly and Hyungwon scoffs because he knows that Hoseok is trying to avoid making the decision.

“Hyunwoo-hyung would be okay with it,” Changkyun murmurs against Hoseok’s neck, voice already starting to slur.

Speak of the devil and he shall appear, Hyunwoo steps into the kitchen. “Kim-shi just called and said she’s on her way to pick up the kids. Thirty minutes tops.”

“Does she need us to babysit again tomorrow?” Hoseok asks.

Hyunwoo shakes his head, a small smile playing on his lips. “Grandma Kim’s doing a lot better now, will probably be discharged tomorrow.”

The rest of the staff sigh in relief, Jooheon the most relieved out of all of them. He sags against the sink and even whispers a small prayer of thanks.

“Hyung,” Changkyun whines, turning his attention to the manager, “can we please call it a night?”

Hyunwoo chuckles, reaching to ruffle Changkyun’s hair and Hyungwon smiles at how Changkyun nuzzles his head against Hyunwoo’s hand. “Once all the customers leave and the kids get picked up, we’ll call it a night, alright? That sound good?” Hyunwoo pauses and turns to look at Hoseok. “That okay with you Hoseok?”

Hoseok gives a weak smile under the implorative gazes of his two boyfriends. “Sounds great,” he says.

Changkyun smiles sleepily and leans a little more forward to peck Hoseok on the cheek. “Thanks, hyung,” he mumbles. “I should go help Jooheon with the dishes so we can go home earlier.”

It really shouldn’t make Hyungwon’s heart beat as fast it does but hearing Changkyun call their little apartment home makes it feel more permanent. Makes it feel like Hyungwon will never have to worry about waking up and realizing the love he and Hoseok shared with Changkyun was ephemeral. 

Oh dear, Hyungwon must be tired. He always gets a little more poetic the sleepier he gets.

One by one, the customers call for their checks and leave until only the kids and one regular on her laptop are left. Hyungwon taps his foot impatiently, ready to go. Kihyun is at the counter, chopping vegetables in preparation for tomorrow. Hyunwoo stands nearby, with a clipboard in hand marking inventory as Kihyun blasts through the contents in their fridge. He’ll probably have to buy more supplies tomorrow despite just having bought enough for a week a few days before.

Changkyun and Jooheon are wiping down the tables when Grandma Kim’s daughter walks through the door. Even from where Hyungwon is preparing the broth to slow cook overnight, he can tell that a burden has been lifted off her shoulders. Hoseok moves from where he’s sweeping the floor to greet her with a kind smile. Immediately, everyone stops what they’re doing and goes to greet her as well.

“How is Grandma Kim doing?” Jooheon asks, voice calm despite the overwhelming curiosity that must be on his mind.

There’s a soft sigh, a gentle smile. “The doctors managed to stabilize her. Said she could come home tomorrow. My siblings are with her right now.”

“That’s a relief,” Hoseok says. She nods, posture much more relaxed than what Hyungwon remembers from earlier in the morning.

While Jooheon talks, Hyungwon and Kihyun move over to wake the children. Siwoo is sleeping peacefully and Hyungwon doesn’t want to wake the child up.

“Jongwon-ah,” Kihyun whispers gently, slowly bringing the pale-cheeked boy to consciousness, “it’s time to wake up, Jongwon-ah.”

Hyungwon imitates, rubbing Siwoo’s shoulder slowly. “Siwoo-ah, come on. Let’s get up, Siwoo-ah.” His heart breaks a little at Siwoo’s whine. He lifts Siwoo into his arms, cooing quietly even as Siwoo flops about, tiny hands slapping Hyungwon’s face. He bounces Siwoo lightly, humming quietly as Siwoo yawns into his ear and buries his face into Hyungwon’s shoulder. 

Although he doesn’t want to admit it, Hyungwon tries to delay the inevitable. He stands around waiting for Kangwoo and Jongwon to be woken. He sways with Siwoo in his arms and savors the moment. But the moment doesn’t last and Kihyun is already ushering the two toddlers towards the door before Hyungwon knows it. Hyungwon follows reluctantly after them, still holding Siwoo tightly as the boy nods off again.

Carefully, he transfers Siwoo over to Grandma Kim’s daughter and rubs Siwoo’s hair fondly as the boy sleepily opens his eyes and readjusts to cling to the shorter woman. “Siwoo-ah, goodbye,” he says, leaning down to be eye level with the drowsy toddler.

Siwoo waves sleepily before slouching back against his aunt’s shoulder and burying his face into her neck to sleep. Hyungwon smiles, feeling his heart fill with warmth at the sight. The others are squatting on the floor saying goodbye to Kangwoo and Jongwon, who are awake, albeit tired.

Jongwon holds on to his mother’s hand and rubs his eyes but leans forward and gives a quick kiss on the cheek to Hoseok and Kihyun. Not wanting to miss his chance, Hyungwon waddles over and taps his cheek twice, hoping to convey that he wants a kiss too. Without hesitation, Jongwon leans up and pecks his cheek before running back to hide behind his mother’s leg.

On the other side, Kangwoo is receiving and giving fond pats and kisses to Hyunwoo and Minhyuk. Changkyun and Jooheon stand off to the side and wave and when Jongwon waves back, prodded to by his mother, they burst into bright smiles, like mini suns illuminating the encroaching night.

Jongwon’s mother allows them a few more precious moments to say goodbye, even allows them to take pictures with the children. The kids are sleepy but receptive, giving kisses and smiling for pictures, probably refreshed from their light nap.

Before they leave, Kihyun and Jooheon come from the kitchen holding packed bags of food. They must have made it from the food preparations for tomorrow, unbeknownst to Hyungwon. Kihyun hands it to Hyunwoo with a quick nod of his head and Hyunwoo gives a questioning look to Hoseok with a tilt to his head. Slowly, almost imperceptibly, Hoseok nods and gives the go ahead.

“Here, please take this,” Hyunwoo says quietly.

She looks down at the bags of food, probably enough for her and her family for the rest of the night and tomorrow. “I can’t,” she says, eyes widening, “you guys have already done so much for us…”

Hoseok steps in. “It’s okay. We’re glad to help.”

“Yeah,” Changkyun chimes in, followed by the others, a chorus of agreement.

She falters. “Alright, thank you so much.”

“I’ll help you take this to your car,” Hyunwoo says.

And as quickly as they came, they leave. Hyungwon almost feels a sense of emptiness, can see in his mind’s eye where the kids had played and run around just hours ago. His heart twinges.

The only customer left is the girl from earlier, the one who doesn’t order food and just works on her laptop for her blog. She’s still typing away and Hyungwon debates whether or not it would be rude to kick her out. He shrugs. As long as it’s not him doing it, it should be okay.

He meets eyes with Hoseok and tilts his head slightly towards the girl, widening his eyes a little.  _ Tell her to go away _ .

_ That’s rude _ , Hoseok sends back, eyes and head shifting back and forth to make his point.

Hyungwon sighs and thinks.  _ Time to call in the big guns _ . “Changkyun-ah, come here,” he calls and grins satisfactorily as Hoseok’s eyes widen with realization.

“Yes, hyung?” Changkyun says, head tilted in confusion.

Hyungwon leans down so that his lips are next to Changkyun’s ear. Changkyun shivers lightly. Hyungwon smirks as he blows gently into Changkyun’s ear before he whispers, “Convince Hoseok-hyung to close up.”

Changkyun looks over with unreadable eyes at the regular, ducking his head when the girl lifts her head up in curiosity. “Why can’t you, hyung?” he whispers back fiercely.

“He doesn’t listen to me,” Hyungwon laments, resting his head against Changkyun’s and wrapping his arms around the younger.

With a snort, Changkyun says, “And you think he listens to me?”

“Not really,” Hyungwon concedes, “but you’re cute and if anyone could convince him, it’s you.”

“You’re lucky I love you,” Changkyun mutters before breaking free from Hyungwon’s hold to bother Hoseok.

Hyungwon counts the seconds till Hoseok breaks. It takes seven.

But Hoseok ever the softie, turns to Hyunwoo with pleading eyes. Hyungwon scoffs. Hyunwoo just tilts his head slowly and blinks before Hoseok’s shoulders sag and he dejectedly walks over to his regular. He lights up when he catches Changkyun and coerces the boy to do his dirty work.

Hyungwon watches as he puts on a soft smile and gently waves a hand in front of her face. “Everything okay?” he asks. She nods in reply. “I’m sorry, but we’re closing up soon.”

Understanding, she apologizes and begins to quickly pack up her laptop and camera, putting them away in their respective cases. But when she stands up, she stumbles, skin paling an alarming amount. Hyungwon’s heart leaps up to his throat but Changkyun catches her and sets her back down in her seat safely.

“Are you okay?” he asks, leaning down and checking her forehead for a fever. “Hyungs, I think something’s wrong!” Changkyun doesn’t even have to finish speaking before the rest of the employees are rushing over.

“Give her some space,” Hyunwoo orders before they can crowd the two. Hoseok ignores the command but Hyunwoo doesn’t stop him.

He steps closer and kneels down. “Hey, hey, what’s wrong?”

The girl holds her forehead and breathes heavily. “Sorry,” she pants out. “I’m fine.”

“Are you sure?” Changkyun asks, getting closer. “You almost passed out.”

“I’m on a diet,” she says. “I didn’t have much to eat today so I’m a little dizzy. I’m sorry. I’ll be on my way.” She tries to stand up by Hoseok holds her down.

“Stay right there,” he says. “It’s not safe for you to go back on your own if you’re not feeling well.”

“It’s fine,” she says again, gritting her teeth and trying to push up against Hoseok’s hands. Hyungwon knows from experience that it’s pointless. “I’ll eat when I get home.”

“Hyung, let her go,” Hyungwon says. Hoseok loosens his hold and she sags, tired from the struggle. Hyungwon watches her quietly, noting how she flushes when her stomach lets out a particularly loud grumble. “It’s not good to starve yourself,” he scolds. “At this rate, you’re going to fly away.”

Kihyun pokes Hyungwon’s arm. “We still have some leftovers from what we prepared for Kim-shi.” He turns to her and speaks gently, “We would feel better if you ate a little to regain your strength before you left.”

The girl shakes her head, gripping her laptop bag closely. “I’m on a diet,” she reiterates. “I can’t eat your food.”

“Just a little bit?” Minhyuk tries. She solemnly shakes her head. Her dizziness seems to not be going away from what Hyungwon can tell as the girl wobbles in her seat. From the combined stares of the seven men and the persistent dizziness, she gives in.

“Just a little bit.”

In minutes, Hyungwon and Kihyun whip up a small bowl of ramen. They don’t have enough for a big bowl and they know that someone on a diet will reject their full size entree. From the state of their kitchen and their remaining inventory, they’re going to have to stay longer tonight or come in earlier tomorrow to prepare.

“Please eat,” Hyungwon says. With a sigh of defeat, she takes a small whiff of the ramen and eats it slowly. Her eyes light up and as she eats, Hyungwon can see the color return to her cheeks. The winter chill is starting to set in.

Once she finishes, she looks much better, eyes more alert. “Thank you,” she says, bowing as she stands up. “Can I get the check?”

Hoseok shakes his head. “It wasn’t a full meal so it’s okay. It’s on the house. I’m just glad you’re feeling better,” he says, smiling at her.

“But what about…?” Hoseok just smiles and she lets it go. “I’m sorry for making you guys stay so late,” she apologizes again. They wave her off. Even though they’re tired, Hyungwon knows that every member would be more uncomfortable allowing anyone to go home alone and sick if they could do something about it. With a few more words of gratitude, she leaves, camera bag and laptop case in hand.

Hyungwon sighs. “Finally.” He notices Hoseok is quiet, fiddling with the stray threads on the tablecloth. “Hyung?”

“Should we be worried about our budget?” he asks.

“Hoseok-hyung is right,” Changkyun says. “We’re going to have to be really careful now.”

Minhyuk dismisses them with a wave of his hand and prods Jooheon, who he’s clinging to, to do the same. “It’ll be fine.”

Hyunwoo nods and stretches his arms. “Whatever happens, happens. I’ll go buy more supplies tomorrow. It’s late. Let’s finish cleaning and go home. It’ll be busy tomorrow.”

 

\-- --

 

_ The Seoul Foodie _

_ New Entry: The Best Ramen Shop in Town!! _

_ November 14, 2017 _

_ Ramen is the new in-thing right now. Shops have been popping up left and right offering authentic ramen and more often times than not, they’re disappointing. If the food is good, the staff is terrible and if the staff is nice, the food is bland at best. Read my reviews on some of the new ramen shops  _ _ here _ _.  _

_ But yesterday, I tried the best ramen I have ever had in my life. And as someone who runs this blog, I’ve had a lot of ramen. Maybe even a little too much ramen. The taste is indescribable but the soup is rich and creamy, the ingredients are all high quality, and the price is just right for the quality of ramen they serve. But not only was the meal wonderful, the staff were wonderful too. It really added to the experience. _

_Which place is it? It’s_ Monbebe Ramen _right in the middle of University Village. (Check their social media_ _here_ _and_ _here_ _. Trust me, you won’t regret it.) They’ve been around for two and a half years and have amassed a cult following of regulars. I found_ Monbebe Ramen _in my search for a good place to edit my posts and enjoyed the atmosphere a lot._

_ You’re probably asking why I’m only writing a post now if I’ve enjoyed this place a lot. A part of me is selfish, I must admit. They’ve been getting busier lately and I didn’t want the atmosphere to change with an influx of new people, especially those that cannot appreciate the quality of the meal and how hard the staff work to serve the customers. But another part of me was not ready to sit down and enjoy the experience of eating ramen at  _ Monbebe Ramen _.  _

Monbebe Ramen _ is staffed by seven full-time employees and a handful of part-time employees. They’re a flower boy ramen shop if I’ve ever seen one. They have special theme days and really take the time to get to know their customers. The restaurant is very neat and well-decorated. But we could argue that a lot of specialty shops do that. Here’s why I’m writing this. _

_ As we know, the University Village is so full of amazing restaurants that a lot of good restaurants get pulled under. I had the opportunity to speak with Shin Hoseok, the assistant manager, during my time as a regular and he explained to me a few months ago that  _ Monbebe Ramen _ was at risk for relocation. Even as I watched them worry about staying afloat, their quality never faltered. Even as I watched them stretch every penny to its limit, their service was always excellent. These are the kindest, most genuine men I have ever met in my life. _

_ How so? Even as they struggled, they willingly volunteered to babysit three rambunctious toddlers while one of their long-time regulars was in the hospital. Watching them play with the kids filled my heart with warmth. (I took pictures but I cannot post them without the permission of the children’s parents.) They did everything they could to ensure that the kids were happy and engaged, even as they ran a busy restaurant. It was impressive but what really impressed me more was that at the end of the day, they offered free meals despite not even being able to take free meals themselves. _

_ [monbebe_ramen.jpg] _

_ [monbebe_ramen.gif] _

_ When I finally left  _ Monbebe Ramen _ for the night, I was feeling faint. After eating so much to do these reviews, I needed to diet for a little while. The boys offered me a small bowl of ramen (on the house!) and it made me regret choosing not to eat there for so long. They took care of me until I felt well enough to leave on my own despite being tired from the long day of serving and taking care of three children. _

_ Now, before you say that it was the hunger making me think the ramen was good, I came back the next day and had a full bowl. It was even better than the night before. Their service was impeccable even after knowing that they had stayed up late and more than likely had woken up early. _

_ I guarantee you that if the ramen isn’t enough reason to come to  _ Monbebe Ramen _ , the staff are.  _

_ [shownubear.jpg] _

_ [wontokki.jpg] _

_ [minmoongie.jpg] _

_ [kihyamsta.jpg] _

_ [chaebugi.jpg] _

_ [joohoney.jpg] _

_ [kkukkungie<3.gif] _

_ If you haven’t, check them out.  _ Monbebe Ramen _ in University Village. You won’t regret it. I give them a 10/10. _

  
  


Changkyun smiles as he exits the article on his phone. He’s finally gotten a quick five minute break even though the crowd of customers doesn’t seem to end. The lunch rush has long passed but the crowd doesn’t show any signs of slowing. They’ve already run through the reserves for the next two weeks in one day and Hyunwoo has only barely managed to slip out to buy more supplies.

It’s almost too good to be true. After  _ The Seoul Foodie _ posted a review on  _ Monbebe Ramen _ , the review almost went instantly viral. A flood of customers started appearing and before they knew it, they passed the $1billion won mark within a few days, just a few weeks before the deadline. Their full salaries were quickly reinstated and they asked Starship for more part-time workers to keep up with the demand.

“Hey, what’s up?” Hoseok asks, dropping his finished bowl of ramen that he had for lunch in the sink and wrapping an arm around Changkyun.

“Nothing much. Just reading something.”

Hoseok chuckles. “Only you would read instead of nap during your break.”

“I’m pretty sure that’s only Hyungwon-hyung,” Changkyun retorts.

“HEy,” Hyungwon squawks, indignant. “I’m working as hard as I can.” Next to him, Kihyun lets out of a soft snort.

“I know and I love you,” Hoseok replies openly, with a cheesy grin playing on his lips. The alarm on his watch dings and he looks down. “Looks like I have to go. Break’s over. Give me a kiss before I go, Changkyun-ah.”

With a soft glare, Changkyun leans up as Hoseok leans down until their lips touch. Changkyun sighs. Even as the months have passed, Hoseok’s kisses still leave him a little breathless and a little flustered. Hoseok grins cheekily before pecking him once again and rushing off.

In a daze, Changkyun almost misses Hyungwon come up to him with a steaming bowl in his hand. “Here,” he says. “I know you didn’t pack lunch either.”

“Thanks, hyung,” Changkyun says, taking the bowl in his hands. It’s warm and the smell reminds him of his first day at  _ Monbebe Ramen _ . Changkyun places the bowl on the counter to get up and look for chopsticks and a spoon, their locations almost instinctual by now. How quickly time changes things, he muses to himself.

One day, Changkyun thinks, things will change again. Maybe for the worse, maybe for the better. It’s not something Changkyun can predict, nor does he want to. He likes to ponder and theorize, likes to wonder about the future on the ifs and whens. But for now, he lets himself enjoy the present. He has his hyungs, he has his boyfriends (and maybe in the future he’ll have something more?) and he has  _ Monbebe Ramen _ . That’s all he needs, Changkyun knows.

 

The bowl Hyungwon has made for him smells good, a nice flavoring that coincides with the lovely creamy color of the broth. There’s a slight scent of sesame oil that adds to the richness and flavor. The broth is flavorful, the meat is high-quality, and the egg is cooked to soft-boiled perfection. Garnishing the top are three drops of sesame.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for your interest in 3 drops of sesame! Thank you for your comments and the kudos and the bookmarks. What did you guys like best about this story? Please let me know! And if you have any questions, feel free to comment or ask me on tumblr @wingenuine. Thank you once again.

**Author's Note:**

> This isn't finished so I don't expect frequent updates until the story is complete. Thanks to @ramenrulz8p for editing for me on short notice. I really wanted to post something for Monsta X's first win (TT.TT) because I am so happy for them. I've been with them for so long now and they're the first group that I was really there for to witness this momentous occasion. If you haven't, please check out Dramarama. Thanks for reading!


End file.
